Sometimes I'm Alone in a Crowd
by Ladyghoul1
Summary: Everything starts to shift when an interesting customer walks into the shop where Kirishima and Bakugou work. Will she eventually push them in a better direction, or will things start to crumble as lives intertwine and secrets are revealed? No Quirks AU, COFFEE SHOP AU! modern day real world, Kirishima x Reader (named), other relationships may develop.
1. Chapter 1

The coffee shop was fairly busy, just like it was every weekday morning as people filtered in to grab something warm for breakfast before starting the workday routine. It was a small shop on the corner of a larger building surrounded by offices and stores in the middle of the city. They didn't sell a large variety of things, but what they did offer was well-made and fresh.

A man with bright red hair gelled into spikes and and a contagious smile stood behind the register, and had a surprising amount of energy for it being 8 in the morning. He always greeted customers cheerfully, which was probably why he was rarely the one off to the side making customer orders with as little social interaction as possible. That job was reserved for the man with spiky blonde hair and bad attitude.

"Hey, Bakugou, two more cheese croissants and a cafe late."

"Yeah yeah I heard you, shitty-hair."

Bakugou stood with his back to the customers in front of the counter, the look on his face making it seem like heating up pastries was his literal worst enemy.

"Bro, my hair is super cool and you know it."

"You know what would be 'super cool?' Not getting hair dye all over the fucking bathroom again. You still owe me a new towel." Bakugou's crimson eyes glared at Kirishima as he set the warm pastries down on the counter and hit the bell a little too hard, signaling the customers that it was ready. Kirishima avoided his coworkers glare with a sheepish smile.

"Heh…I said I was sorry, I promise I'll go this weekend and get you a new one."

The bell over the shop door opened to signal another customer. Kirishima turned around to greet them as he always did, but his tongue caught in his throat.

The woman that just walked in the door was someone he hadn't seen before, and he was pretty familiar with the regular stuffy office crowd that came in this early in the morning. She had dark red hair, in the sun it almost looked a bit purple, and he could immediately tell that wasn't her natural color from his own experiences in hair dye but it suited her well. It was short, above her shoulders, and framed her strong jaw-line. In dark business casual attire she stood in front of the pastry display, reading through the small signs with a tired smile, like she was still trying to wake up.

Kirishima thought she was pretty, hopefully it didn't show on his face.

"Hi there! What can we get for you today?" Kirishima leaned over the counter slightly to look around the display at the woman. She turned to him with that tired smile and dark sparkling eyes that were highlighted with winged eyeliner and just a hint of eyeshadow.

"Hi, good morning. Um, yeah, can I get a ham croissant and a medium roast coffee, no cream or sugar please." She dug through her small purse to fish out her wallet.

"Sure thing, coming right up!" Kirishimia took the cash handed to him and carefully counted out change. "Your order will be ready in a few minutes, you can pick it up down at the other end of the counter."

She took the change, and said a small "thanks" glancing up at him one more time before walking over to take a seat near the other side of the shop.

Why were Kirishima's hands sweaty, wasn't that a Bakugou problem? He wiped them on his apron before chancing a glance from behind the counter at the woman again. He hadn't even noticed Bakugou looking between himself and the new customer and piecing together the cause of the dumb look on the red-head's face while he made her order.

Kirishima snapped back to attention to take care of another customer – a regular this time – while Bakugou rang that annoying bell and set the pastry and unsweetened coffee on the counter. He glanced over to get a proper look at her when she grabbed her breakfast. She looked up at him with the same tired smile and thanked him as well before walking out the door and around the corner.

Ok, so Kirishima didn't have horrible taste in women. She wasn't exactly a model but Bakugou thought she wasn't half bad looking. And few people actually thanked HIM, the guy who made the food and shit, so that was new. Even so, something small bubbled up in the pit of his stomach, but he forced it back down like he always did. It was nothing, after all.

Kirishima and Bakugou turned to each other at nearly the same time, the blonde with a smirk and the red head with a timid smile.

"I haven't seen her before…maybe she'll become a regular?"

"Tch, fat chance. I bet she's here on a business trip or somethin' and will be gone in a day or two with your dating luck."

"Don't jinx it! And it wasn't that bad…ok it's been a while since I've been on a date but so what? You're one to talk about dating advice."

Bakugou bristled like a provoked dog, but managed not to yell at his roommate behind the register. Kirishima knew at this point that the blonde was 70% bark and about 30% bite, and even then he wouldn't throw at fit at their job at the risk of being fired. Again.

"Ok idiot, if she comes back, you better have her fucking phone number by the end of next week. If not, she'll have mine." Bakugou smirked at Kirishima's alarmed and blushing face. Did he give a shit about a date? No, but he enjoyed making things into competitions way too much to pass up the opportunity to win at something. Besides, he knew Kirishima sometimes had self-esteem issues that he rarely talked about, maybe this would force him out of his shell a bit. He was a jerk, not a complete asshole after all. Bakugou turned back around to face the counter, his expression neutral.

Kirishima pointed a strong finger at his coworker in acceptance of the challenge. "Fine! A real man doesn't back down from a challenge and I accept." Kirishima flashed a toothy smile, feigning confidence…but inside he was saying ohshitohshitohshitohshit….

The rest of the day was uneventful, the woman didn't come back, and eventually it was time to leave the shop to go home. Kirishima and Bakugou shared an apartment on the other side of town; it took three train stops to get there since neither of them had a car. Usually it was Kirishima that opened the shop since he was more of a morning person so he would end up getting off before Bakugou, who usually came in a few hours later and left when the shop closed in the late afternoon.

They had met in highschool, transferred in from different middle schools but both were good students who made it into special programs. Bakugou was problematic, often lashing out at anyone who he saw as a threat to his future successes and goals. He was excessively driven and consistently got top grades, but his social skills were severely lacking. Kirishima on the other hand was a social butterfly, but only managed to stay above water with grades and advanced classes. They managed to have a lot of overlapping classes, and one thing led to another when Kirishima begged the blonde to tutor him in the more challenging subjects. Bakugou eventually let his walled up superiority complex come down just a bit with Kirishima's natural charisma and empathy. They graduated together and went to different colleges, but still weren't far from one another. Kirishima was almost always the one to initiate hanging out and catching up, and Bakugou – as stubborn as he was – obliged about half the time, which was a pretty good turnout considering his sour attitude towards reliance on friendship. A series of events after graduation landed them here, working in the same town, at the same coffee shop, neither of which had been in their future adult plans; But sometimes things don't work out the way you anticipate.

The next day, Kirishima was at the coffee shop and setting up the usual necessities before normal working hours. Bakugou wasn't in yet, his shift started around 10. The red head had taken a few extra minutes to make sure his hair looked nice that day – even if his roommate and coworker always called him "shitty-hair" he was stubborn and refused to change it much between spiking it up, and putting it back in a casual headband. He was determined to get a proper introduction in today with woman…if she showed up that is. Their customer base was so boring, with the same pudgy office men coming in and giving off an air of false importance. Bakugou wasn't exactly the type to socialize much outside of work, and his other friends were already in relationships so he was mostly on his own when looking for anyone interesting. He had tried dating apps, but those were mostly used for casual hookups rather than looking for long-term monogamous relationships. Kirishima was a sappy romantic at heart and wanted someone to watch movies with cuddled on the couch, while also having picnics at the park in the middle of the city and eating cheap ramen at places only his friends knew about. Sometimes he thought he was being too picky, or he had bad luck, or he wasn't manly and charming enough. He was 24 and still single, so any chance he had at talking with a pretty girl at the coffee shop was an opportunity he wasn't going to miss.

It was around 8, same time as yesterday, when Kirishima looked up to see the same woman come in again. Her hair was the same, her makeup was the same – was it? he didn't know a lot about makeup but it looked about the same…- and the wore the same business casual style outfit as the day before. She didn't bother looking at the display this time, and instead walked right up to the counter.

"Hey, can I get the same thing I had yesterday? I think it was.."

"You had a ham croissant and a medium roast coffee…right? I think that's right." Kirishima rubbed the back of his head as the woman looked at him with surprise.

"Um…yeah, actually, I think that's right. You remembered what I ordered?"

"Ah, well we have a lot of regular customers who get exactly the same thing everyday, so I've gotten really good at remembering faces and attaching them to orders. Wow that sounded kinda weird ah-"  
She smiled at him, it didn't looked quite as tired as yesterday.

"No no, I think that's pretty good customer service honestly if you can remember someone's order like that just after one day. Or am I just that memorable?"

The last line struck Kirishima into a mute state, trying as hard as he could not to lose his shit and turn into a confessing mess.

"We ah try our best here to take care of our customers after all!" Ok good good he managed to swing around that statement. "Speaking of memorable, I haven't seen you in here before. Are you new in town?" Yes good keep it going keep it going…

She pulled out a debit card rather than cash this time and handed it over to him. "Not really, my office moved into a new space last week that's a couple blocks away. We used to be all the way across town so I was never over in this area much. Also, we have free coffee at work, but it tastes like garbage honestly so I'm willing to pay for my caffeine fix. What I had yesterday was pretty good, so I decided to come back." She smiled at him as he slid her card in the machine and handed it back with a receipt.

"Oh that's cool. We'll have your order up in a minute." He flashed a bright, toothy smile in her direction. It was going better than expected!

"Ok…mmm..Kirishima?" She was looking down at his scuffed name tag and he was nervously avoiding eye contact. "Thanks." She waved him off and walked to the receiving side of the counter and sat down in the same chair as yesterday. Since Bakugou wasn't there yet some teenager with arms too long for his body was making her order. Kirishima was too busy trying to breathe correctly, processing that the conversation went way better than expected.

1\. She isn't here on a business trip so SUCK ON THAT BAKUGOU!

2\. He didn't make a complete ass of himself, and she made it a point to know his name.

This was a good start, better than any of the matches he'd had on dating apps where half the time he was stood up and the other half were just…well we don't think about those anymore.

Once she had her food and coffee, she made it a point to wave bye to him on the way out, disappearing down the same street as yesterday.

After a while Bakugou showed up a minute before his shift start. He was always close to being late, but was never actually late. Once he put on his apron and name tag, he eyed Kirishima with suspicion. He was normally energetic, but this giddiness was new.

"What's up your ass, shitty-hair?"

"You were wrong! That lady came back today and we had a nice conversation consisting of like, two sentences each!" Kirishima threw that in the blonde's face as if it was indisputable fact that he had already won.

"Wh…oh yeah, the chick from yesterday. So you didn't scare her off permanently then?" Bakugou shoved the teenager out of the way, knowing that he was the best at making the coffee and he wasn't going to let some kid fuck it all up.

"Nope, she works at an office down the street that recently relocated, so I bet she'll be coming in tomorrow too."

"Yeah yeah we'll see, if you manage to score a proper date I'll be fucking surprised. Do you even know if she's single?" Bakugou eyed him suspiciously, Kirishima failing to hide the dawning realization regarding a question he hadn't asked himself.

"Uh…I mean…no? I didn't see a ring though so she's not married. Don't ruin the mood, if she's not oh well at least I'll have tried." Kirishima held up an optimistic thumbs up, while Bakugou made some fake barfing sound and turned back to making some lunch items before the rush started in a few hours.

"You're such a fucking sap. What's the schedule for tomorrow, you're off work right?"

"Yeah, I get to sleep in for a while. Don't burn the place down without me, ok?" For that comment he got a stale pastry with a bite out of it thrown at his face.

During his lunch break Kirishima decided to make a small list of topics that didn't sound creepy or weird coming from a stranger, something he could talk about that would seem relatively reserved and normal.

1\. Where is your office?  
"No, that makes me look like a stalker creep…scratch that one." He took his pen and scribbled out the first entry.  
2\. What do you do for work?  
"Ok, getting there, it's a start."  
3\. What kind of music do you like? The music here is pretty boring so I'm sorry. Unless you like it, then you have eh taste in music.  
4\. Are you single?

"You are really fucking bad at this." Bakugou stood over Kirishima's shoulder, reading his list without permission, making the red head jump just a bit.

"If you would help me, it wouldn't be a problem."

"Idiot we made a bet I'm not going to help you WIN." Bakugou continued walking past with a pack of napkins, leaving Kirishima to his pitiful list.

 _What if she doesn't even like guys? Maybe she likes women…maybe she likes both? All genders?! Ok cool cool let's be inclusive here and I'll have a small chance._


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Tsu, what do you think of the new office space? It's way bigger than the old office, more fridges…overall not a bad upgrade." The burgundy-haired woman sat at a small table picking at her homemade bento. Her green-haired coworker looked up from her own food, eyes scanning around the large kitchen space.

"Mm, yeah I like it. Doesn't feel like a giant concrete box anymore. We don't have much time to get adjusted though, the deadline won't move anymore."

"Yeah, I'll be here late again today. At least the sidewalks are well-lit with streetlamps. Do you know what time that coffee shop closes a few blocks away? I might pick up something on the way to the train."

"Ooh, the one with the cute guy right?" Ochako's eyebrows wiggled suggestively as she dug into her own bowl of hot noodles and rice. "But to answer your question it's a coffee shop, and those places usually don't stay open very late." The woman across from Ochako and Tsu chewed the inside of her cheek and rolled her eyes at her friend's first statement.

"Oh my god, I've only been in there twice. He was kinda cute and nice and that's it, don't make me regret telling you."

"Ryu, it's not a big deal. Just ask him on a date or something." Tsu was always the one with the most blunt – but logical – answer to every dilemma. That's what made her very good at her job.

"Wh- I'm not just going to ask out some weird guy who I don't really know. I gotta test the waters…make sure he isn't a crazy person first." Ryu picked at her food as Ochako and Tsu glanced at each other, then back to their friend.

"Guys are dumb and really oblivious, sometimes you gotta spell it out for them that you're interested. If you keep going back, and he starts asking questions to find out more about you, then you'll know he's curious. If not, just play it by ear. If he tries anything funny we got your back." The bubbly brunette stuffed some rice into her mouth and gave Ryu a wink.

"Thanks, I can't deal with more relationship drama." She looked down at her phone, checking the time while picking up the last pieces of rice from her bento. "Shit, gotta get back. I'll chat you that prop design when I get back, Tsu." Ryu stood up from the table, leaving her coworkers to finish their own lunches. Tsuyu nodded in acknowledgment, turning back to Ochako.

"I didn't want to say anything, but that guy she described sounds kinda familiar. Mostly the bright red spikey hair. I knew someone in college who looked just like that, but I think he moved away to look for work. Could be just a coincidence, though."

"Mmmhm, could be. Was he nice, though?" Tsuyu placed a finger on her chin, thinking back to about three years ago before graduation.

"Yeah, if it's the same guy, he was really nice and friendly. He'd treat his partner well I think. We talked in the classes that overlapped, but we didn't hang out or anything." Ochako nodded. Ryuko had been at the company nearly four years, Tsuyu and herself just coming in two years ago. They all usually ate lunch together, talking about anything other than office politics – not that it was a bad place to work, but it's good to separate personal time and work time. She hoped her friend could find someone nice to date, considering her bad relationship luck in the past. It's what she deserved, and Ochako would make sure nothing got too out of hand.

It was almost 8:00 before Ryuko finally left the office to head home. She had just gotten a promotion a few months earlier, and was now a director within her department at the studio. Along with a pay-raise came added responsibility and work, so late hours were to be expected unfortunately. But being tired didn't change deadlines, and if work needed to get done, she was going to do it.

"Oh shit, I didn't realize what time it was. I'll finish this up in the morning and pick up dinner on the way home." She grabbed her things and headed out the door, waving to the few other workers still left in the office.

She passed by the coffee shop a few blocks away, noticing that they closed around 5 everyday, so Ochako had been correct in her assumption of their hours. Making her way home, she grabbed some takeout, not wanting to busy herself with cooking after a nearly 12 hour day at work.  
"I'm home! Ghost where are you?" She kicked off her shoes as she let herself into her apartment, locking the door behind her.

Setting her dinner down on the kitchen table, she heard a small "mew" at her feet as a shabby looking cat purred and rubbed against her ankles.

"There you are. Did you miss me? Eh probably not, you're a strong independent cat after all. But I know you just keep me around for the food and toys." Ryuko mixed up some food and set it down for Ghost before taking out her own dinner. It was nothing special, but it was warm and filled her belly.

"Hmm, I have that concert tomorrow right? I'll just put some extra clothes in a bag and change after work." She opened up her phone to pull up her concert ticket to a small but rising band she had started listening to last year. They happened to be touring and came to her city, so she grabbed up a ticket when they went on sale. She wasn't picky about music, but she liked supporting smaller bands that she really enjoyed since she was aware they only made money through ticket and merch sales…which was why half of her shirts were black band shirts that she mostly wore as pajamas.

Cleaning away the kitchen table, she went to the small room decorated as an office space and sat down at her computer, pulling up a show she had watched many times before so she wouldn't be distracted as she worked on her own personal projects. Ochako was texting her bad dating memes to make Ryuko laugh and keep her entertained. She mulled through the red-head at the coffee shop, his genuine smile sitting in the back of her mind, but her hand did not pause as it glided across her tablet screen. It had been nearly a year since she had been on a date, taking plenty of time to get herself together and focus on her own goals after her previous relationship. Before that one…she didn't like thinking that far back, so she took the lessons learned and gathered her life in her arms, moving forward as best she could. She would not let anyone hold her back, not again, not this time.

"I cannot fucking believe I had to wake up so damn early, how does shitty-hair do it?" Bakugou was grumpier than usual, even though he had already been awake for nearly four hours and had plenty of time to wake up. The new kid was still learning how to make coffee, so Bakugou had been forced onto the register to give the teenager – whose name Bakugou conveniently never remembered – some extra experience. Unfortunately for all the customers, the blonde was not nearly as personable as Kirishima.

Bakugou was leaning against the counter, his chin resting in his hand with a look of bored agitation gracing his facial features, when he looked up to see the same woman from the past two days walk in. This time she had a small bag slung over her shoulder in addition to her purse. Otherwise, she looked mostly the same. She was nothing if not consistent so far.

Ryuko immediatley noticed the lack of striking red hair at the register, and instead was greeted by the tired stare of the guy who had made her coffee the past couple of days. He didn't look nearly as friendly as the other guy, and hoped he didn't make her morning difficult.

"What do you want?"

His gruff voice made her look up from the display case, but didn't bother answering while she mulled over trying something different this morning.

"Oi, did you hear me?" Bakugou never got over hating being ignored. If he was talking to someone, he expected some kind of response. Ryuko gave the blonde a bored look, lips pursed in a thin line.

"…just give me an english muffin and a medium coffee." She handed him her card, which he snatched out of her hand and swiped without so much as a word. This guy was the exact opposite of the red-head in terms of manners and customer service. Ryuko had worked her way through school at various retail jobs, so she knew that dealing with customers could be a huge pain sometimes, but the default setting shouldn't be an expression that says "fuck off."

Bakugou handed her back her card before yelling her order back at the nameless teenager behind him. The kid looked terrified, and quickly started on your coffee.

"You're not nearly as personable as the other guy. You should work on that if you plan on dealing with customers." She walked away to the other side of the coffee shop, a dumbfounded Bakugou staring at her as she sat down far enough away where he would have to yell and cause a scene to get a retort in. He ground his teeth together, his scarlet eyes burning, biting his tongue to keep from saying something that would get him fired. He tasted blood. The woman looked up from her phone and stuck her tongue out mockingly at the infuriating look Bakugou was giving her from around the counter. A few minutes later the timid boy served up her order. She knew the man with the horrible scowl was watching her, and to drive her point home even further, she called over the teenager to thank him for making her order, and to whisper some sound advice.

"Don't let bullies get to you, ok? You're doing great." The flustered teenager nodded in acknowledgment as Ryuko walked away, not giving the pouting man behind the counter a second glance.

Bakugou opened the door to his apartment and slammed it shut, just a bit harder than normal.  
"SHITTY-HAIR! I saw that idiot girl at the shop today!" He kicked off his shoes, walking in and flopping down on the couch.

"Oh! She was there again today?" Kirishima poked his head around the corner from the hallway where their bedrooms were.

"Yeah, and she's a huge bitch."

"Bakugou, that's not nice…somehow I have a feeling you said or did something." Kirishima ducked his head back around the corner as a pillow came flying at him, hitting the opposite wall and landing on the floor having missed its target.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Kirishima peeked around the corner again to see Bakugou staring at him from the top of the couch.

"I mean, you aren't great with customers which is why I'm always the one on the register…and she was really nice to me so…"

"I don't WANT to deal with shitty customers, that's why I make the coffee. They don't have to like me, I just have to get their order and take the money and get them out of my face." Bakugou slid back on the couch, his usual place for napping. "Wake me up in an hour, I have that concert later and I'm meeting Jirou there."

"Sure, I can do that." Kirishima went back around the corner, noting what time it was on his phone. Sitting back down at his computer desk in his room, he finished up the job application he was filling out before Bakugou got home.

"Mmm…hopefully he didn't say something to scare her off from the shop completely."

Ryuko walked off the train among the throngs of people, heading up the stairs to find her way to the concert venue. She had a small backpack that she kept her purse in, as well as the day's work clothes once she changed into more comfortable gear. It took a couple of blocks until she saw a small line of people outside waiting for the doors to open - should just be a few more minutes. As she pulled up the digital ticket on her phone, she heard an unfortunately familiar voice a way up the line closer to the front doors.

"Oi, shove off!"

"Moron, don't make a scene before we even get into the place…"

"We were here first, no cuts!" A large man seemed obviously upset that the angry blonde was attempting to cut in line to get to his friend? Girlfriend? Ryuko figured if it was his partner, she must have a very specific taste in guys to put up with his attitude…

"This isn't kindergarten asshole, one person with a TICKET isn't going to make a damn difference." Bakugou slid in behind Jirou, a hand running down her already tired face. She just happened to like the same band, and saw Bakugou was going to the same concert through a social media post…well this was a terrible idea to meet up, obviously.

"I swear to god if you get kicked out, I don't know you and will run away to save myself."

"I don't give a shit what you do, once we're inside I'm getting a drink." Bakugou and Jirou pulled up their own tickets and showed the doorman who was now letting people inside. Ryuko stood as the line slowly started moving up as people filtered in past security, hoping that she could just enjoy one night for herself.

* * *

If you are enjoying the story so far lemme know!


	3. Chapter 3

Since Ryuko was farther down the line, she didn't see where the angry coffee shop guy went, but wanted to stay away from him. He couldn't make a scene at his work, but here? She did not want to get into a fight when she just wanted to enjoy the band. Going straight to the merch table and buying a shirt, she turned around and walked to the bar when a mop of ashe blonde hair got caught in her peripheral vision. He was over at a bartop probably ordering a drink. Luckily there was another bar area on the opposite side of the venue and ordered herself a drink while the first band set up.

Ryuko was here for the last two bands, but the opening set was usually short so she wouldn't have to wait long. People around her were still filtering in from outside. It was always a sausage fest at these shows, most women hanging around their boyfriends or in other groups. But she was there alone, and was always on guard as a result.

"Let me buy you another drink, pretty lady." Ryuko turned to the side to see some skeevy looking guy wink at her, making her nearly swallow her own tongue in disgust. She took a sip of her drink, not batting an eyelash at the guy.

"Don't bother me, shitstain. I don't want your drink." Before he could yell at her for being a bitch, a tease, etc., she walked away to get lost in the crowd of growing people. "I'm too old for this crap, can't gross dudes just leave people alone when they obviously don't want to be talked to…"

It wasn't too long before the second band got started, most people leaving the bars to head towards the center of the room. The lights were dim, but Bakugou's blonde hair stood out against the sea of black band shirts. Jirou was standing close by, but gave him plenty of space since he was usually one to jump into a pit or headbang without discretion. Something caught his eye though…did that bag look familiar? And that burgundy hair…? "Fucking hell."

"Earholes, you see that chick over there? With the ugly bag?" Bakugou grabbed Jirou's arm and yanked her to subtly point over at the girl across the room who was facing away from them.

"What did I tell you about calling me that? Just because I have stretched ears doesn't mean you can call me whatever dumb nickname you want."

"Shut up, you see her or not?"

"Yeah, so? I'm not going to be your wingman, wingwoman…whatever, if you're looking to fuck I will not be around for-" Bakugou made a wretching noise with his mouth that paired well with the side eye he gave her.

"Fucking gross, no. She started coming into the shop this week and Kirishima has some stupid crush on her but she's a huge bitch, made me look like an idiot this morning…I want revenge."

"…what did you say? Because I can almost promise that you did something stupid, rather than it being her fault. You are really bad with customers."

"Wh- what the fuck?! Is no one on my side in this?" Bakugou ran a hand down his face in frustration.  
"Dude, we've been telling you for years to stop acting like an ass to everyone you come in contact with. It's no wonder you're still single, stop blaming other people for your bad attitude. I'm getting another drink. Remember what I said about you getting kicked out…" Bakugou stared at her incredulously as Jirou walked away to the bar.

His attitude was always a mentionable issue ever since he was a child. His drive to succeed and to win at everything he put his mind to was unbeatable, but it cost him friendships and relationships in the past. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was when he was younger, but some things still set him off. Bakugou needed to be in control of his life, of the things that happened to him; when people or circumstances stood in his way, he fought back aggressively.

"Tch…idiot isn't even worth my time." Ultimately he decided against confronting the woman on the other side of the room. He really did like the bands playing and did not want to get kicked out, and if his roommate was serious about asking this chick out at some point, he wasn't going to risk burning the bridge between himself and Kirishima by sticking his nose where it didn't technically belong. He was one of the few people that actually stood by Bakugou through years of shitty behavior. Even if he didn't act like it all the time, he was appreciative of Kirishima's dedication to sticking around…even if he didn't necessarily deserve it.

The rest of the night went on without drama. Things got heated when the main band came on stage, a metal band that was steadily growing in popularity. A small mosh pit opened up in the middle, giving Bakugou an outlet for his current frustrations. Jirou knew well enough to stand far back from the group, but Ryuko on the other side stood just a bit closer so she could still view the stage. Unfortunately for her, a particularly drunk man stumbled backwards suddenly after losing his footing on the sticky floor, knocking her back on her ass and causing her drink to splash onto yet another guy standing behind her.

"Ow! Dude please get off me!" She attempted to push the fallen man off her, but he had practically passed out on top of her and was much bigger and heavier to boot.

"Oi, fuckface! Shove off!" A black combat boot came crashing in from the side and promptly kicked the guy off Ryuko. He bent down and extended a sweaty hand towards her in an attempt to help her up. "Are you just going to stay on the floor like an idiot then?"

She hated accepting help from anyone, especially from a hotheaded moron. Maybe he was making amends for acting like an ass this morning, and she wasn't going to hold a childish grudge over one incident, so she accepted his hand with a grunt as he pulled her up off the sticky concert floor.

However, before either of them could say anything, a loud AHEM sounded behind them. Ryuko looked over to see the same gross looking guy that hit on her at the bar, but this time he looked very pissed off…and was dripping with her spilled drink.

"Now, you owe ME a drink!" He gave her a crooked smirk which made her throat taste like bile.

"OK one: I told you earlier to leave me alone. TWO, make this drunk idiot on the floor pay for your drink, he's the one that made me spill it. Three: I don't owe you jack shit, which circles back to one…leave me alone." She angrily counted off with her fingers, pointing accusingly at the angry man in front of her while Bakugou looked on awkwardly as this chick told the guy off in a slightly amusing way.

"Wh-get back here you bitch! Don't wa-" He attempted to walk after the woman that made him look like a fool in the middle of a concert, but his foot caught on something suspiciously shaped like a boot. He toppled over, landing on the drunken man still passed out on the floor that started this whole mess. Bakugou smirked to himself as he disappeared back into the crowd.

"Where were you? I heard shouting and assumed that it somehow involved you…" Jirou found Bakugou among the crowd, following him back to a dimly lit corner so he could tell her what he witnessed.

"Woah, she sounds kinda badass, I like her. If Kirishima can work up the nerve to ask her out I'll have another concert buddy."

"Am I not good enough?!"

"You are a last resort." Bakugou once again had an incredulous look on his face, Jirou enjoying whenever she got the last quip in. Her eyes glanced over Bakugou's shoulder though, and pointed subtly so he could see her hand gesture. The blonde steeled his features and looked over his shoulder to see the object of today's frustrations coming towards them.

"Fucking hell I don't want to deal with this shit…" She stopped a few feet away from Jirou and Bakugou, looking back and forth between the two, the look on her face suggesting she was considering what she was about to say. She turned towards Bakugou, his expression softening into just mild irritation.

"You. Thanks for helping me up earlier, and for tripping up that creep. I haven't seen him walking around so hopefully he just left on his own or got kicked out." Gratitude was not something Bakugou usually received, and was not what he was expecting out of this conversation. His face faltered, but quickly transitioned into a look of smugness.

"Yeah yeah I'm pretty fucking great, no surprise there." Jirou looked at the the woman whose name she did not know, and shook her head disapprovingly. Ryuko mirrored her movement in solidarity.

"Uh, ok sure. I was going to apologize for this morning…but nevermind. Your sass is just a natural attribute I guess, rather than the result of a possible bad start to the day." Bakugou whipped his head around, his scarlet eyes glaring at the woman who did not know how to back down. Her own eyes were fierce and steady, but opposite of Bakugou's firey ones…they held depth and resolve, like she had been in a similar situation at some point before.

"Eh? I help you out and you come over here to insult me?"

"Ignore him, he's always like this. He accepts your thanks." Jirou stuck her tongue out jokingly as red eyes darted back and forth between the two women who seemed to have an unspoken understanding regarding ganging up on him.

"Anyway, it seems like that drama made the concert pass by quickly." Ryuko looked over to see the band putting away their instruments and people starting to filter out through the main doors. "I saw most of it so it's fine…have a good night." She nodded to the the two strangers and was lost in the dense crowd exiting the building.

"Mm…my statement still stands, she seems pretty cool. And she can piss you off with ease which is endless entertainment. I give Kirishima my support."

"Ugh, screw this I'm going home." Bakugou stormed out, shoving aside a few people to get out the door and back to his apartment as quickly as possible.

"Ghost, I'm home! Sorry I got back so late I bet you're hungry." Loud "mew" noises could be heard from the kitchen, the cat obviously waiting for dinner that he would snub as inferior to his delicate cat tastes…but would still eat anyway after Ryuko went to bed.

"Ugh, I smell like cigarettes and burps…shower then bed."

It was nearly 1 A.M. when Bakugou finally got back, actually taking care not to slam the door. Kirishima would be asleep since he was back opening up the shop tomorrow. He quickly brushed his teeth, stripped out of his clothes except for his boxers, and fell into bed after double checking his alarm for the morning.

"Hmm, I guess Bakugou made it home ok." Kirishima looked down to see his roommate's boots next to the front door, so he must have gotten home some point after he went to sleep. Stepping outside, Kirishima headed to the train station a few blocks away.

As regular office workers started to filter into the shop, the red head kept an eye on the clock. He anticipated the woman he was looking out for would come in about the same time as the previous days. Sure enough, just as he was finishing helping one customer, the bell rang at the front door. Kirishima looked over and put on a flashing smile for the burgundy haired woman that walked through the door.

"Good morning! Nice to see you again."

"You too." She glanced behind the counter, but only saw the teenager from yesterday - no angry blonde in sight. "Looks like that sassy coworker of yours isn't here today." Kirishima's smile faltered.

"Eh, you mean…he doesn't come in until later. Why do you ask?"

"We ended up at the same concert last night, and he made a bit of a scene. Is he always so angry? Sorry, I guess I'm assuming you know him well even though you're just coworkers…" Kirishima rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. What did Bakugou do last night? Hopefully his chance with this woman - whose name he didn't even know yet- wasn't jeopardized because of his friend's impulsive nature.

"We're roommates actually, I've known him for years. He got back late, I was already asleep. Did he…say something bad? He's not a bad guy, he just has some uh…self control issues. But I'm sorry if he was rude to you at all." The woman looked at him with a tired smile. It was small, but looked genuine, and made Kirishima blush ever so slightly.

"It's fine, you aren't responsible for someone else's actions so don't apologize."

"Was the uh, show fun at least? Sometimes our music tastes overlap, but this time not so much." Ok, this conversation was going well! So far so good, maybe Kirishima wasn't making a total ass out of himself.

"Oh yeah, I had fun. I like a lot of different types of music, but I try and go to shows with smaller bands I like because I know they don't make a lot of money doing tours, so I go and buy a shirt and support people living our their dreams when I can."

"Oh wow, that's cool!" He was cut off from continuing the conversation from a loud AHEM from behind the woman. There was a small line forming behind her, apparently getting impatient from her not ordering anything.

"Oh shit, sorry. Uhh just a coffee this time." Kirishima quickly accepted her payment to get the line moving again, even if it meant having to stop the conversation.

Kirishima apologized to the people waiting in line as he served them quickly, Ryuko sitting patiently off to the side while her order was made. She looked up from her phone to see the happy red head, a stark juxtaposition from the grumpy blonde she ran into the previous day. He seemed like a genuinely nice person through the few interactions she's had with him, he seems to care about his job…in a split second decision she took out a scrap of paper from her purse and scribbled on it, debating inside her head whether she was about to go through with it. The sound of a bell made her look up to see that her order was ready. She thanked the kid behind the counter, and looked up to see Kirishima finishing with the last customer in line, a look of relief on his face to know he could take a breath. He looked over to see the-woman-with-no-name staring at him from across the counter, causing his cheeks to heat up as he looked away.

"Mmmm…fuck it." Ryuko walked up to the counter, stared Kirishima in the face, and slammed down a folded slip of paper a little too forcefully on the counter which caused him to jump back a bit. She immediately forgot what she was going to say, her mind going blank while staring at the cute guy right in front of her. "Uhm…uh bye!" Bolting out of the coffee shop before he could say anything, Ryuko walked quickly down the sidewalk and let out an anxious breath. "Oh god I hope that wasn't a mistake…worst case scenario I block him and just never get coffee there again…" The thought of dealing with the tasteless coffee sludge at work was enough to wish this encounter ended well.

"Eh..? What was that about?" Kirishima stared after the woman that sort of power-walked out of the stop and out of sight. He glanced down at the ripped note on the counter and picked it up nervously before reading.

"Ryuko. Text me! xx-xxxx-xxxx."

He stared down at the note for a solid thirty seconds before letting out a "HELL YEAH, SCREW YOU BAKUGOU!" Patrons in the shop turned to him, one man nearly choking on his breakfast at the sudden outburst. "Totally not out of my league, I got her number, she has a name, I won, now to just…oh god how do I flirt through text." Kirishima sunk down to the floor, the note still held tightly in his hand thinking about talking with her not just at work, but now outside of work. He could do this…right?


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh my god no way you did it!" Ochako gave Ryuko an energetic high-five when she relayed that she gave the coffee shop guy her number on impulse. "Don't be nervous I'm sure it'll turn out fine."

"Mmm…did you happen to catch his name?" Tsu put a finger to her chin, considering what she told Ochako earlier in the week.

"Yeah, Kirishima I'm pretty sure, why?" Tsu looked at Ochako and nodded.

"You're lucky then, it's probably the same guy I went to college with. His description sounded familiar but you didn't give his name so I wasn't completely sure."

"Oh shit, you know him? Well…was this a bad decision? Is he gonna murder me when I least expect it?" Tsu shook her head with furrowed brows.

"You listen to too many of those crime podcasts, don't be so paranoid. He was actually really nice, we weren't close though. He seemed like the type who would treat his significant other well, he was very much into helping other people whenever he could. Seemed like the supportive type."

"Oh wow, that good huh? He sounds like a sappy cuddler, I love it. Well I guess I just have to wait now and see if he texts me…"

As soon as Bakugou walked in the door, he could tell something happened. Kirishima had this triumphant grin on his face, his slightly pointy teeth looking more prominent than usual. It made Bakugou's morning scowl deepen.

"Oi, shitty-hair. What's that look for?"

"Ooh…I don't know…it might be a look that says I WON!" Kirishima thumb-pointed back at himself proudly as Bakugou looked on in confusion.

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"I. Got. Her. Number!" Kirishima waved the scrap of paper in front of Bakugou's face, a look of recognition lighting up as he connected the pieces. He attempted to snatch the paper from Kirishima's hand, but it was pulled away at the last second.

"No no no, this is for me not you. She was here this morning and mentioned she saw you last night at the music thing?"

"Yeah she was there, and how the fuck did you get her number so fast?!"

"She gave it to me, I didn't even have to ask." The smug look on Kirishima's face was enough to make Bakugou turn around and head into the back of the shop to clock in, punching the numbers in a little too forcefully.

"After all this trouble, if you fuck this up I'm going to laugh at you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" Kirishima turned from his coworker to take the order of the next person in line. She gave him her number, meaning she was interested. Now he just had to prove he was interested - and interesting - as well.

Ryuko sat and ate lunch at her desk, catching up on work that needed to get done when her phone buzzed. She didn't recognize the number, but the text tipped her off to who it was:

xx-xxxx-xxxx: "Hi! This is Kirshima, the coffee shop guy!"

"Oh shit that was fast, he's not playing around with that high school 'don't text them for three days leave them waiting and wanting' garbage, good." She saved him in her phone and replied:

R: "hey! i see my note wasn't in vain then"

K: "a bold move that paid off haha, i finally know your name :)"

R: "i guess i don't have a nametag, just a boring security badge for the office that is tacky and mandatory so it stays in my bag"

K: "ooh, sounds fancy. what do u do for work?"

R: "im a director of my department at an animation studio. it sounds fancier than it is, i just sit at a computer all day"

Kirishima held his phone as he reread the reply. A director? But she didn't look much older than him…either way it sounded fancy and important. "Oh man that's kind of intimidating…that's more professional than I was expecting." The shop was usually slow this time of day, since they didn't really sell a lot of lunch items, so he had decided to send a text to the now named woman.

"The fuck are you on about?" Bakugou was drinking coffee he made himself. They weren't really allowed to drink or eat on the clock, but he wasn't one to care when there was down time.

"Dude, she has a really fancy job, says she's the director at an animation company or something…just from that she's gotta be super cool." Kirishima had a combination of nervous and excited expression.

"You serious? I bet she's loaded then, get her to take you on fancy expensive dates and shit. And you're not fucking boring so get that idea out of your head, what pays the bills doesn't make someone automatically interesting." Bakugou looked at him seriously. Kirishima's self-worth and self-confidence issues still come up from time to time, so Bakugou had to kick his ass every once in a while. "She asked YOU out idiot, meaning she probably doesn't give a shit about her status compared to yours." Bakugou's words didn't really match the screaming voice in the back of his head. But he tamped it down like he always did.

Kirishima looked from his friend back to his phone - he wasn't going to let any deep-rooted issues of self worth hold him back. Bakugou was right, she asked him out! So it was now just a matter of keeping the interest going.

K: "oh wow! i mean it sounds exciting to me, i dont know anyone with a job like that so you'll have to tell me more about it. I like learning new things :)"

"Oh my god he's so cute, I didn't scare him away yet…"

R: "i'll take you on a tour of the building sometime when it's less busy. We have a lot of hard deadlines rn so i've been working long hours :') thank u for enabling my coffee addiction"

K: "haha anytime! ok so let me ask…"

The conversation continued on sporadically for the rest of the day, Kirishima leaving work before Bakugou and Ryuko getting home late as usual. Questions were asked, answers were given, a mostly generic exchange of casual information at the beginning stages of getting to know someone.

"Well, today went by quickly…I guess from this new distraction. I won't complain, though." Ryuko smiled to herself, thinking of the back and forth between her and Kirishima. Conversation seemed to flow easily, nothing popped up as a red flag yet, they had things in common, seemed to get along so far. The beginning stages were always the most inviting, the flow of information invigorating and new.

R: "Do you want to see my kitty?"

It was such an innocent question to her, she didn't even think about it considering she had a pet cat. But Kirishima's face blossomed into a horrid shade of pink at the more lewd implication. He sat on his bed, fingers hovering over the keypad of his phone.

"What the heck do I say to that…? She can't mean, no way…" Luckily before he could respond, a picture attachment popped up. Of a cat, like the animal. "Oh my god I'm so stupid…being around Bakugou so much hasn't been a good influence…aww it looks like a fluffy old man!"

K: "you're a cat lady! its so cute, do u have any other pets? our apartment is strict on no animals :("

R: "nope, just Ghost. he's my only roommate. I got him from a shelter, he was old and no one wanted him so he's like a spoiled fluffy baby that sticks around because i give him food"

Kirishima smiled to himself; usually people that were kind to animals were kind to people, too.

K: "ah, sounds like a good life to me! anyway I gotta sleep, early day tomorrow. see u tomorrow morning?"

R: "sounds like a plan :) gn"

Kirishima set his phone down on his nightstand and gave a contented sigh. She was two years older than him, had a cool job, had a cute pet cat, similar movie tastes to himself, good sense of humor, and actually LIKED HIM enough to give him a chance. It made him excited to go to work tomorrow to see her again, only this time it would be on an even more casual note. He got up from his bed to stretch, and walked out to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. Bakugou had his own bedroom door closed, but Kirishima knew that he wouldn't be asleep quite yet.

Behind closed doors, Bakugou was doing his own job searching on his laptop. He never expected to get stuck working at a shitty coffee shop, this was far from the plan he had for himself while he was in school. A single poor decision after graduation at his first real job put a fat red mark on his future job prospects. He had somehow gotten lucky afterwards – Kirishima was the recommendation that got him hired at the coffee shop when other places passed over his resume. Still, that didn't stop him from continuing to look for a proper career path, but the lack of progress made him increasingly frustrated. It was a tough situation that he was actively trying to change with little success. He grunted in disappointment, continuing to research into the night.  
_

"Oh wow, the rain is coming down…" Ryuko grabbed her umbrella before heading out the door to work, quickly making her way to the train station. It was packed with more people than usual because of the rain, preventing those who normally walked or biked to take an alternate route. She unlocked her phone, looking back through the previous day's conversation with the cute coffee shop guy. He seemed really nice so far, and was interested in her hobbies and life – and said her cat was a cute old man with fuzzy whiskers, which made her laugh. She wondered when they might hang out outside of his work…did he spike up his hair like that all the time? What did it look like down? She was brought out of her thoughts with a phone buzz.

K: "good morning! I have no idea idea when you get up, hopefully this isn't too early…i've already been at work like two hours so my sense of time for everyone else is messed up"

R: "i'm on the train going to work now. Did u get caught in the rain at all?"

K: "nah, I think I made it as it was thundering but not quite raining yet"

K: "hey umm are u free this weekend? No pressure just curious"

Kirishima hit send with a lump in his throat. Was it too soon to ask her on a date? It wasn't like they were strangers, they technically knew each other and were casually talking…hopefully she didn't see it as pushy or too forward.

"Ooh, jumping the gun hmm? Ok I can play this game." Pausing in typing her reply, she got off the train at what she thought was the correct stop. After getting halfway up the stairs she realized something…she was accidentally on her way to her old office. On the opposite side of town. She was still getting used to the routine, so this was bound to happen at some point.

"Shit shit shit…no no don't leave!" She jogged back down the stairs quickly to see the train she just got off pull away from the station. It would be another 10 minutes before another train came by, ultimately making her late for work. "Dammit…not good." Pulling out her phone, she called up her boss to apologize that she would be a little late to work. Luckily her boss was understanding since several other people had already made the same mistake of heading to the old office by accident that week. As long as it didn't happen again, it wouldn't become an issue.

She sat down on one of the few empty bench spots to look back down at her phone. Despite the current situation, she smirked at Kirishima's text.

R: "are u asking me on a date ;)" This reply made Kirishima blush. He was so easily flustered because of this woman, there was just something about her that made him feel like a flirty teenager.

K: "what if I am? U didn't answer my question…are you free?" Be manly, reply in a manly confident way!

R: "i am, I have boring office hours monday-friday so I have weekends free :)"

K: "perfect! I'm off on sunday if you want to…meet up? Preferably not for coffee"

R: "what, u dont want to be surrounded by coffee 24/7 every single day? jk no I dont blame u. i'm game for whatever, so you can pick where we go"

They continued to text back and forth as Ryuko got on her proper train and headed to work. Unfortunately she decided to skip the coffee shop visit and jog straight to work in the rain to avoid being more late than she already was.

Kirishima leaned against the front counter, looking at the clock above the door. Normally she was in here by now, but maybe the rain slowed her down a bit. Just then a blur of burgundy jogged past the glass windows and around the corner.

"Was that..? Maybe…?" Kirishima tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy, wondering if that was Ryuko running past just then. It took a little while for him to get a reply to his last text.

R: "Sorry I didn't come by, got off at the wrong stop and it made me late so I just kind of ran for it. oops"

K: "aha no worries, I thought I saw u pass by the window but I wasn't sure! I wont distract u anymore lol text me at lunch :)"

And with that, the date was set.


	5. Chapter 5

The next couple of days went by without incident. Kirishima and Ryuko continued to text casually, Ochaco and Tsu were nosey while Bakugou was slightly annoyed at Kirishima's happier-than-normal demeanor. They decided on an early ramen dinner and movie that both had been wanting to see.

"Bakugouuuu, please help me." Kirishima was officially bugging him now, early Sunday afternoon, while he was trying to wind down playing a video game.

"You aren't a child you can dress your own damn self."

"Of course I can but you have a better sense of fashion than I do. Just tell me if I look dumb." With an agitated sigh the blonde paused his game to look over at his roommate. His mouth hung open in mild horror.

"Do not wear those fucking CROCS, they are the single worst thing you own. Everything else is fine." Kirishima looked down at his feet, bright red Crocs staring back at him.

"But they're so comfy…"

"You're going to dinner and a movie right? Cliche as fuck, but you wont exactly be walking around that much so why does it matter?"

"Mmm…yeah that's a good point. Ok fine but everything else is ok?"

"Oh my god yeah do not ask me again unless it's a literal fashion emergency." With that, Bakugou kicked his roommate out and slammed the door, locking it for good measure. Kirishima stared at the door for a few seconds before walking away. Bakugou had been in an extra sour mood the past couples of days, maybe he could bring back some extra spicy ramen or something to help cheer him up from whatever was making his attitude worse than usual.

Bakugou sat back down at his desk, putting on his headphones and unpausing the game he was playing. For some reason he was angrier than he was before Kirishima came in. He swallowed the feeling down like he always did, instead focusing on killing every enemy in the current level as violently as possible.

"So Ghost, how do I look? Cute as fuck, right? Yeah I know." Ryuko looked at herself in the mirror, debating whether or not it was too much for a first date. But it's about first impressions, right? So…why not make the impression something memorable? If he got scared off, well that was his problem. Her cat, sitting lazily on her unmade bed, meowed as if to agree.

They decided to meet at the train station that was a short walk away from the ramen stand. Kirishima got there first, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet feeling a flutter of nerves in his stomach. Texting had gone well, but now he had to hold proper conversation for the rest of the evening compared to a few sporadic morning talks. It wasn't long though before he spotted the signature burgundy hair, but the person attached to it looked quite different from the normal office attire that he was used to.

She wore a black high waist skirt that fell just above her knees, black patterned tights with intricate lace designs, ankle boots, and a flowy dark purple top. Various necklaces and rings accompanied her figure as well. She looked confident and strong and really fucking hot honestly, like some modern-day witch casting a very effective spell on him. Her outfit wasn't revealing at all, but it hugged her figure in a flattering way. Kirishima's throat went dry as he tried not to stare, still managing to raise a hand in greeting as she walked closer.

Ryuko walked off the rain and looked around for his signature red hair, spotting it off to her left. It was spiked up like normal, but he wore much more casual clothes this time. Nice slacks, an unbuttoned collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a patterned shirt underneath. His clothes were bright, hers dark - an interesting contrast. When he turned around and saw her coming, the afternoon sun behind him seemed to set his eyes on fire in a genuinely heartfelt way, the silhouette of the sun creating a halo of gelled up spikes. It nearly made her falter in her steps as she moved forward, feeling nervous for the first time since she gave him her number.

"Hey! Wow, you look really nice…I feel underdressed." Kirishima scratched the back of his head nervously, but Ryuko shook her head to dismiss his comment.

"Thank you. And nah, you look great! Definitely a step up from the coffee shop apron. I figure first dates are like a proper first impression, so it's best to just be true to yourself rather than start out being something you're not." Her smile set Kirishima at ease, the tense muscles in his shoulders and neck relaxing at her words.

"Ah, are you ready for some delicious dinner?" Kirishima threw his thumb over his shoulder to point down the way towards the ramen shop.

"Yeah, definitely." Kirishima led her down a sidewalk with various small shops and restaurants on either side of the street. Conversation flowed more easily as they walked, both of them enjoying the company of the other. Ryuko was entranced by Kirishima's bright smile and laughter, the positive energy he gave off reminded her of her coworker Ochako. After a while they arrived at the shop, a place small and unassuming, but Kirishima assured her they had excellent food.

"Mmm…you were right, I like this place. You have good taste."

"Aha, glad you think so. I don't go out to eat often since Bakugou is a really good cook…"

"Whose Bakugou?"

"Oh! I guess you don't know his name. He's the angry blonde at the cafe, who I mentioned was also my roommate."

"I don't me to pry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to…but you two seem very different. He doesn't come off as the easiest person to get along with and you're so…" She stopped eating as she glanced away, trying to find the right words. "…personable? Nice?" Kirishima blushed at her words, but a more contemplative look fell on his manly facial features.

"He's…a complicated person. I met him in high school, it took a long time to break through the mile-high wall he built up. Sometimes I think he just hangs around because I'm one of the few people that actually puts up with him." A stern finger came out of nowhere to point directly in his face, nearly making him spill the broth on his spoon.

"He should be lucky to have a friend like you. I haven't known you long…but I feel I'm a pretty good judge of character since I'm an old lady now and I've met a lot of different people. I can tell you like helping others, so don't ever feel like that's a bad thing."

"Old lady…? You're not old!" He completely skipped over her compliments of his character and instead decided to focus on her self-deprecation. "You're older than me right? But you're still young and really cute so don't put yourself down!" A bright smile lit up the room, until he realized what he said and clamped a hand over his mouth, blushing furiously. Rather than be embarrassed, she gave her date a wink which made him blush even harder.

"So you think I'm cute, huh?"

"Uh…yes? Sorry if that's too forward."

"Well you're handsome, so now we're even." She continued to eat her ramen with a smirk as Kirishima still struggled to compose himself. She thought he was handsome!

The remainder of dinner went by quickly, poking fun at each other with easy conversation. Kirishima offered to pay for dinner, it was his suggestion after all.

"Mmm, alright. I can get the movie tickets."

"Are you sure? I don't mind, I'm the one who invited you out."

"I'll let you in on something. I'm the type of person that likes to split things 50/50 when possible, or at least in a way that seems fair. I'm not a princess, I have a job, and I can pull my own weight. Does that sit fine with you?" She actually had a serious look on her face as she looked at Kirishima waiting for an answer. There was a point when he was younger that he might have considered it manly to treat his partner like royalty, paying for everything and pampering them. But he was older now, and understood that most people just wanted to be treated the same as everyone else. He could tell that Ryuko was opinionated and independent, someone who did not want to be treated like a doll. To him that was honestly pretty manly!

"Yes, that's cool with me! When they bring my my card back we can head out."

The movie theater wasn't far away, but one thing they didn't think about was show times. They agreed on a movie, but the next show time wasn't for another hour…

"Ah man, I didn't even think about times…what do you want to do for an hour?"

"Hmm…I feel like you know this area better than I do so I'm all ears." Kirishima looked up and down the street to see if anything looked like a time waste.

"Oooh, perfect! C'mon." Leading her down the sidewalk and across the street, they stopped in front of an odd looking store. Mismatched manequins, party lights, and gaudy decorations hung up in the front windows. "You strike me as someone who might like weird thrift stores." Ryuko stared at the front of the store, then back to Kirishima. He took a gamble doing something spontaneous, hopefully she didn't think he was an idiot for it.

"Kirishima…this place looks amazing." She grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him into the store, her excitement making his grin even wider.

For the next hour they sifted through shelves, clothing racks, accessory racks trying on anything that looked remotely funny. Kirishima was nearly brought to tears when he found out Ryuko snorted sometimes when she laughed really hard. She could also walk fairly well in sequined platform shoes. Kirishima looked surprisingly good in wide headbands with pineapples on them. Several selfies were also taken to commemorate this amazing journey of tacky clothes. He should have ignored Bakugou's advice and just worn the Crocs!

"How much time do we have left until we need to get to the theater?" Ryuko was sifting through clothes racks while wearing a gold feather boa. Kirishima pulled out his phone to check the time.

"Mmm, about ten minutes." Kirishima was a little taller than Ryuko, so he walked over to look over her shoulder. "Find anything else interesting? I think we might have picked this place clean…"

"Maybe…but maybe not. Oh…my god what is this magical gem…" She pulled out some monstrosity from the depths of the rack, eyes glimmering with mischief. Kirishima's face was beet red looking at this…thing.

"Y-you want this?"

"No, I don't want to spend money on it…but I can't leave without trying this on. And it's the same color as your hair! Stay here, I have a terrible decision to make…" With that, she walked over to the dressing rooms, leaving Kirishima's mind racing.

"She can't walk out in that…I think I would pass out." His phone buzzed in his pocket, bringing him out of his mental gymnastics trying to imagine his date in that…thing.

B: "are u coming back shitty-hair?"

K: "? uh yes? Why wouldn't I"

B: "do not bring her here to fuck while i'm here I swear"

K: "WTF its just one date!"

B: "point still stands"

K: "besides I have to work tomorrow, i'd have to come back anyway. Also just no."

Kirishima sighed and put his phone on silent so he wouldn't get any more suggestive texts. He'd like to let this form into something more serious if possible…if she wanted to he wouldn't necessarily say "NO" but going too fast at the beginning of a relationship was a sure way to complicate things or make someone uncomfortable. Just then he saw her come out of the dressing rooms looking…embarrassed.

"Hey, are you ok?" She held the…thing, behind her back, cheeks a slight tinge of pink.

"You ever think something is a good-bad idea…but it ends up just a bad idea? This was that, and a signal that it's movie time." She hung up the outfit on a random rack and wrapped an arm around Kirishima's elbow, dragging him out of the store and towards the theater. Kirishima was a bit concerned at the sudden change of attitude, but rolled with it since they bought tickets earlier and didn't want to miss the movie.

Since they already ate dinner they didn't bother with any overpriced movie snacks and instead went straight to their seats. Ryko sat down and rifled through her purse for something, pulling out a small case with some glasses in them.

"You wear glasses?"

"I'm near-sighted, so I just need them to see details that are kind of far away." Kirishima thought they framed her face nicely, and willed away cliché thoughts of suggestive teachers and bosses.

Kirishima was more vocal during the movie than his date, occasionally giving a gasp or laugh while she remained mostly silent. He debated at several moments to reach over and hold her hand conveniently resting between their two seats…so he decided to take a chance and slid his hand on top of hers. She didn't pull away, and instead caressed one of his fingers with her own. Chancing a quick glance to the side, Kirishima saw a small smile on her face that was glued to the movie, making him feel at ease.

When the movie was over and the credits started, Ryuko pulled her hand away to put her glasses back in her case and stood up.

"That was pretty good, not bad at all. You ready to go?" Kirishima stood up, missing the warm contact of her hand on his but nodded that they could leave.

They walked outside and headed back to the train station. Ryuko slid her hand into Kirishima's in a sudden but easy move. His hand felt strong and sturdy and reminded her of comfort and safety, so she was fine wordlessly telling him that she wanted more of that contact. It was dark outside by the time they reached the station, each pulling out their phones to check the next arriving train times.

"So! Uh, thanks for coming out. I had a great time." Kirishima's red eyes looked warmly down at her, hands in his pocket, body language revealing that he was reluctant to leave but too embarrassed to say so.

"Yeah, absolutely. This was really fun. I don't get out a lot…I tend to be a homebody. But I really needed this, I think. Something fun, ya know? Thanks." She walked closer and pulled down the collar of his shirt just enough to bring him down more to her level, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Kirishima's hands immediately became very sweaty and his face was probably the same shade as his hair.

"Ah…yeah! We should definitely do this again."

"Speaking of…are you free next Friday night?"

"Friday…? Uh yeah I think I should be. Do you want to…?"

"There's an office party we're having. We have a big party every year to celebrate a successful season of whatever show we're currently working on. It just happens to be this Friday, and I need to let HR know if we're bringing any guests so they can plan around drinks and food…by the way, there's free alcohol and food." She smiled up at him, glancing over to the tracks to see her train starting to roll in.

"Yeah that sounds awesome! I'll get to see your office and all that fancy work you do. Also the free stuff sounds good too. Yeah, I should be able to go. I can let you know for sure tomorrow?" Kirishima felt like he had butterflies in his stomach thinking about her wanting to go on another date with him, even meeting her coworkers and showing him her workspace.

"Let me know! I'll text you when I get home." She jogged over to her train as the doors opened, waving back at him as she disappeared into the crowd. Kirishima waved back, now alone on the platform surrounded by strangers. Not caring if anyone was looking, he jumped up and pumped a fist in the air at the success of the date.

Ryuko stood holding onto one of the hand rails of the train as she tapped on the virtual keyboard of her phone.

R: "yo date is over"

Ochaco: "OOOO how did it go?"

R: "I think it went well! Nothing set of alarm bells, very polite. I could tell he was nervous…am i intimidating?"

O: "lol yes sometimes, but not in a bad way! you're just a badass ;)"

O: "are u going to see him again soon?"

R: "dont hit me i invited him to the work thing friday"

O: "AAHAHA oh my god im gonna tease u so bad"

R: "i'll get u drunk enough to finally tell Tsu you want to kiss her face with your face"

O: " :O you wouldnt!"

R: "I see u flirt, this is a warning against embarrassment sabotage"

O: "mmmmmmmm"

This back and forth went on most of the way to the final train stop. She stepped off the train and started walking the few blocks to her apartment. When she walked alone, especially at night, there was always a shift in body language, a change in gait. Eyes darted back and forth, scanning behind trees and bushes and across the street for any movement of strangers. Occasionally she'd turn around to make sure no one was following behind her. This was the norm, a switch that turned on saying 'do not appear weak, do not appear passive, do not appear submissive, do not appear like an easy target.' Words ran through like a tape on repeat. Once her hand finally touched the doorknob of her apartment, she released the tension from her clenched jaw. She locked the door behind her.

After such an eventful day, her apartment felt lonely and too quiet - which was odd, because she enjoyed solitude and the seclusion of her own space after being around people for long periods of time. Maybe it was just…the company of one person she was missing.

She changed out of her clothes and into oversized pajamas, nearly tripping over Ghost as he laid down at her feet basically asking for belly rubs. She obliged, picking up her phone to make an impulsive call.

Kirishima had just gotten home, kicking off his shoes as his phone rang. He bit the inside of his cheek as checked the name on his screen, answering as he walked farther into the apartment.

"Hello?"

"Uh…hey! Sorry if it's too late to call, it's..mm almost 10:30."

"Oh no it's fine! I just got home so perfect timing. Did you get home alright?"

"Yes, thanks. Just relaxing, giving Ghost his needed nightly pets."

"Ghost…? Oh! Your cat, right?"

"Ha, yep. Just wanted to say..thanks again for today. You're a fun person to be around." Kirishima smiled to himself as he closed his bedroom door behind him. He didn't see Bakugou when he came home, so he assumed his roommate was locked away in his den of a room.

"Ah, thanks! I had a good time too, I'm already looking forward to this work party thing you mentioned." Kirishima laid down on his bed, illuminated just by the lamp on his nightstand. "I'll let you know tomorrow for sure, but I'm…98% sure I can go. How…is this a formal thing or..?" Kirishima was struck with the realization that he didn't really have any fancy clothes if this was some official work party.

"No, not really. I mean it could be? People honestly wear whatever, some people use it as an excuse to dress up fancy, some people dress down, so it's a big mix. Someone came in a sports mascot costume last year." He laughed at the ridiculousness of that suggestion.

"Then I guess my question is…what will you wear?" Kirishima was immediately brought back to the outfit she tried on at the thrift store, but knew that it would probably be while before he might see her in something like that.

"Hmm…that is a good question." She got up, pulling herself away from her purring cat on the floor and walked over to the closet, mulling over a couple of different outfits. "I dunno yet. How about I send you a pic once I decide and you can sorta match it?"

"Yeah I think that works." He secretly hoped she didn't pick out something that he couldn't properly match…but she seemed like too thoughtful of a person not to take this into consideration. Either way, he didn't bring it up.

"Cool. Well I'll let you go, don't want to keep you up. I should probably sleep too…"

"Um, yeah sure. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Unless I fuck up on the train again, then yeah." She giggled to herself, barely audible. "Alright, good night."

"You too." Kirishima took the phone away from his ear, hung up, and set it down on the bedside table. He couldn't help smiling to himself, sleep now starting to overtake him. "It's so dumb, to smile like some idiot when we talk…but I don't think I'm gonna fight it." He turned over, buried his face in his pillow, and sighed into the pillowcase, a smile still on his lips.

Ryuko hung up the phone, tossing it on top of the bookshelf filled with true crime novels, animated movie art books, and a couple of feminist anthologies with crumpled pages and fold down corners. "Jeez…it feels so weird dating again, getting flustered in the beginning stages like some teenager. Mmm…whatever, I'm just going to roll with it and hopefully it'll take me somewhere nice." She sat down on her bed, taking the old stuffed rabbit that always accompanied sleeping alone, and held a soft ear between her fingers like tangible comfort.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were uneventful. Kirishima and Bakugou made coffee, Ryuko oversaw her team at the office, the in and out of routine and familiarity occupying their minds. The thrill of new romance still lingered on Kirishima's cheeks as they continued to see each other in the mornings, text during the day, and call to say goodnight. It was now just two days until the office party.

"Mm, what are you guys wearing Friday? Part of me wants to use this as an excuse to wear one of the dusty fancy things in my closet…the other part wants to wear pajamas."

"You should wear something…that shows off your booty." Ochako turned away quickly as Ryuko glared at her through a mouth full of food. "What?! If you got it…"

"The last thing I wanna do is push this too quickly…even if I feel like he has secret abs or something that he hides under that damn apron. Plus I haven't had sex with a dude in…mmhm I need brush up on some articles." The last words were barely audible, drowning them out with a gulp of water.

"Sorry, can't help you there." Tsu ate her own lunch as Ochaco turned the opposite direction now, trying to keep down the blush on her face. She knew her green-haired crush was into women, but Ochaco was just too much of a chicken to actually ask her out.

"I do have a nice butt though, all those squats I've been doing are starting to pay off."

"Just don't wear shoes that you'll bust that butt in when you fall down drunk." Tsu giggled to herself as Ryu attempted to reach over the table and strangle her.

Kirishima wiped his brow as he neared his apartment, taking a sip from his water bottle as his jogging pace slowed to a walk. Since graduating from college his level of physical activity had dwindled, so he enjoyed a long jog when he got home from work most days and did what he could to keep in shape.

"Ooh, what are you making it smells so good?" Kirishima kicked off his tennis shoes as he closed and locked the door behind him, his noise raised in the air at the aroma of cooking food filling the apartment. His roommate had started making dinner while he was out running, and whatever it was made his mouth water.

"Oi! What makes you think any of this is for you?" Bakugou called to his unseen roommate, focusing instead on cooking. It was something he was good at, and something he took pride in doing well, even if he did add too much spice or too many hot peppers on occasion.

"Aww come on I'm hungry and you know you're a way better cook than I am." Kirishima came up beside Bakugou to look at the spread of boiling pots and chopped vegetables. Bakugou tensed at the close contact, but he pushed it down. Like he always did.

"You still owe me a fucking towel," Bakugou said through gritted teeth. Kirishima groaned and slapped himself on the forehead.

"Shit, I totally forgot, sorry! Ok tomorrow, I swear I'll pick one up on my way home. I'm taking a shower, save me a plate please and thank you!" The red-head rounded the corner down the hall before Bakugou could say otherwise. The ashe-blonde let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Kirishima grabbed a towel from the shared bathroom and wiped his face when his phone buzzed. He picked it up to see his crush had texted him, and attached an image. Curious, he unlocked his phone and looked at the picture. What he saw made his mouth go dry and extremely wet at the same time.

R: "Which do u like better?"

She had sent a couple of pictures of herself in two different dresses. One was a dark red and black lace dress. It came all the way up to the neck and looked like it tied or attached in the back, leaving the arms and shoulders open. It went down to her knees and conformed to her body in very appealing ways. It wasn't skin-tight, but it let Kirishima's mind wander in ways he had attempted to avoid.

The other dress was dark blue and flared out at the hips, highlighting her waist. Wide straps came down in a scoop neckline with some simple detailing around the chest.

"Holy shit…" He bit his lower lip, scrolling back and forth between the two photos and permanently committing them to memory. Leaning in to the bathroom door to listen, he quietly locked it. Trying to focus, he considered which outfit he'd actually be able to sort of match with clothes he had. Luckily the dresses weren't specific shades of green or yellow (though he did own quite a few brightly colored shirts) – black and blue were easier to match.

K: "THIS IS A HA-" He didn't mean to type in all caps. Backspace…

K: "they both look great! I think I can match either one with clothes I have so you pick whichever you like best ;)"

"Oh god I just sent a winky face…" His phone buzzed in his hand as he finally turned on the water in the shower.

R: "mmmm that does not help the decision making"

Kirishima decided to continue the conversation after his shower, so he started to strip out of his sweaty clothes. Bakugou would definitely let his dinner get cold if he wasted any more time.

"I…hmm" Before undressing he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, some sweaty bits of red hair falling in front of his face. His tank top clung close to his body, sweat starting to dry and become sticky on his skin. He very rarely did this, but he took a selfie of himself in the mirror. "I'll save that and send it as revenge for getting me flustered later."

The water was hot but not scalding, creating a veil of steam in the bathroom and a fog on the counter mirror. It felt good against his tired muscles, his skin a slight tinge of pink from the heat. Lathering shampoo into his hair, he closed his eyes and thought again of the pictures on his phone. It made him blush and bite the inside of his cheek to consider seeing her in one of those in person, and possibly eventually…without anything at all. He thought himself a pervert for thinking of her like that, they hadn't known each other very long. They hadn't even properly kissed yet. But he thought she was really pretty, both inside and out so far. She liked him, thought he was fun to be around, wanted him to meet her friends at work! That kind of closeness was what Kirishima wanted… he wanted..

"Oh.." He looked down from rinsing his hair of conditioner. Oh, indeed.

Kirishima walked into the kitchen – now wearing clean shorts and a t-shirt – and sat down to eat his slightly warm dinner. Bakugou stood at the sink washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen area having already finished eating.

"Hey, I can do that since you cooked." Kirishima watched his roommate as he dug into the delicious food. He was always appreciative when Bakugou decided to cook; he guessed that sometimes it was a stress-reliever, but he could only guess at what the blonde might be anxious about at any given point.

"I'm almost done, just eat the damn food." Bakugou turned around, trying his hands on a towel. "Why the fuck is your face so red?" Kirishima paused before putting another large bite into his mouth, attempting to look at his roommate with complete innocence.

"Uh, I mean I just took a shower so…" He shrugged, avoiding eye contact and distracted himself with more food. Bakugou eyed him suspiciously, but clicked his tongue and went back to finishing up the dishes.  
_

"Mmm, were the pictures too spicy? I mean they weren't like sexy really I'm just trying on clothes…that are very dusty. I don't go out enough"

Ryuko sat and looked at the two dresses laid out on her bed, mulling over the options. Kirishima was little help with his text earlier claiming he liked both.

"I'm so indecisive when it comes to shit like this, picky but can't choose between two things I know I like…" Her phone started ringing, scaring Ghost and making him dart out of the room.

"Hello?"

"Uh hey! Sorry I just got done with dinner."

"Pick a dress. I'm giving you the option to choose what I wear, don't waste it."

"Aha? I mean they both look nice…mm. Decisions decisions…wait, is this a loaded question? Because no matter which I pick, it's assuming that you don't look as good in the other one. Which is a lie, I bet you look good in everything." Kirishima slapped a hand over his mouth, but he couldn't take back the obvious flirting that just spilled out. He heard Ryuko laughing on the other end.

"Oh my god, what a perfect answer – I look good in everything, pfft. You can flatter, that's for sure."

"Is it still flattery if it's true?" Now he was just being cheeky, gathering up some boldness.

"How do you know it's true though? Also you still need to pick one, you're avoiding the question."

"What if I was very cliche and forward and asked what you were wearing, then." Kirishima thought he was pushing his luck, but she was basically indulging him at this point.

"Ooh, this game. I'm not playing this game." Ryuko chuckled into the phone. "I've sent you two pics of me, but I have zero of you so that's not a fair trade. Even it out, first."

"Aha, I don't have any dresses to model, though! But I'll see what I can do. Also, because you insist…mm the black one."

"So you're into the hips and booty, got it. Good to know." Kirishima sputtered on the other end of the phone.

"Wh-hold on! Was this a test?!" Ryuko tried to hold back her laughter on the other end as Kirishima nearly dropped his phone from embarrassment.

"Hahaaaa! No, not a test. I was genuinely curious which one you preferred. I'm just logging this information away for later." She heard a distinct "oh my god…" on the other end of the phone, but it sounded far away like he was holding the phone away from his mouth. "Are you flustered? Sorry. I'm 26, and I said I'm not playing games." Her voice came down low, swallowing hard as she hoped she wasn't being too forward. When this all began she told herself she would take things slow, feel it out, not rush…but now in the moment it was actually fun to lace innuendo and double meaning into her words to gauge his reaction and interest. He seemed like someone who was easily embarrassed, but was also going along with her lead. She could hear him clearing his throat on the other end.

"Ok, ok…no games." Kirishima silently pulled up the picture he took earlier of himself in the bathroom and sent it to her without mentioning it at all.

"Eh, what did you send..wh..oh my fuck." She was staring at this hot sweaty man in messy ponytail and flirtatious look in his eyes. She had been right, he was ripped under that cafe uniform. He looked like a very muscular nerd with some smug ass but adorable smirk on his face, hand on hip like he knew how good he looked right at that moment. Kirishima was silent on the other end, probably laughing to himself. But before she knew it the words were out before she could hold her tongue. "I want to lick you."

"…..ah…what?"

"I HAVE TO GO SORRY BYE" She quickly hung up the phone and buried her face in her pillow and screamed.

"Way to go IDIOT, telling him you want to lick him what the FUCK god…" She felt her phone vibrate next to her, head still covered by the pillow. "Take it slow, I said…this is not going well. Why is he so hot?!" The phone buzzed again. She took a chance and peeked out from her fluffy shelter to look at the screen.

K: "Why did u hang up? you asked for a pic and I sent one *innocent smiley face emoji*"

K: "uhh sorry? too much?" Ok, so she didn't scare him away yet. She chanced a reply.

R: "no i was just taken aback is all lol it just caught me off guard. very rude of u, no warning"

Kirishima was trying to keep his shit together on the other end of the text messages, thinking about the fact that she blurted out she wanted to LICK HIM! It didn't immediately register in his brain until after she hung up.

"…oh god tomorrow morning is going to be so-"

"…awkward." They both made similar embarrassed expressions after realizing they'd have to see each other face to face in the morning for scheduled coffee after such disgustingly obvious flirting. The party was definitely going to be interesting at this rate.  
_

"Hmm, ok now where do they keep the towels…" Kirsihima had just gotten off work and walked into a general store to pick up a new towel for Bakugou so 1. he'd stop bugging him about it and 2. it was only fair since he did ruin it with hairdye. Speaking of, he'd have to bleach his roots in the next month or so. It was always a long process, and Bakugou hated the strong smell of bleach so he usually avoided the bathroom during that time. Maybe Ryuko could help him now though…?

As he walked towards the registers, a towel under his arm, he slowed down and turned down an aisle around the medicine and personal hygiene area. He stopped in front of a display of various lubricants, condoms, and other intimate items. It wasn't like he was embarrassed to buy these things, he understood the importance of safe sex practices. What made him chew his bottom lip was the possibility of being intimate as soon as the next night if the party went well and she wanted to move things forward. He would never push any potential partner towards anything they weren't comfortable with of course, he was thinking ahead. That was the smart thing to do, right? Grabbing a box of condoms, he headed to the checkout counter with his two items.

Ryuko left work earlier than usual - which was actually when most employees left the office - to do some grocery shopping. Because of her work schedule she rarely cooked large meals, but getting takeout all the time wasn't healthy for the body or the wallet. She wasn't particularly terrible at cooking, but needed some recipe or direction to really cook anything moderately complicated.

While on the pet supplies aisle to pick up some food for Ghost, a mop of spiky blonde hair caught the edge of her peripheral vision. She looked up and was met with a glare of red eyes meeting her own. He was still in the coffee shop uniform, his shirt untucked and apron slung over his shoulder. While Kirishima had similarly colored irises, his eyes were soft and bold and warm without looking intimidating. On the other hand, his coworker's eyes bore into her with intensity like pools of blood, waiting for something to drop onto the still surface and ripple out like fire.

She had been polite to him while in the coffee shop, not wanting to start anything with Kirishima's friend and roommate. He had simmered down from his outrage the previous week, but was still the minimal amount of courteous. Unfortunately for her, he was no longer at work, and took this opportunity to walk straight down the pet aisle towards her.

"Oi, the hell are you doing here?"

"Uh shopping? Why else would I be in a grocery store?" Maybe he could push other people around with his bad attitude and fiery glare, but she wasn't one to shrink back from a bully. Bakugou had his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like his teeth could break from the pressure. He looked like he had something to say, but was debating whether or not to actually voice it.

"Look, I don't want to start drama. I hate that shit. But if you have something to say go ahead and say it." Bakugou made a low noise similar to a growl.

"If you so much as hurt a single fucking hair on his head, I'll kill you."

Ryuko was taken aback by the statement. Was he talking about Kirishima? She furrowed her brows in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant.

"What are you talking about? Me and Kirishima? Why would I -" Bakugou stepped closer, his basket knocking against her own grocery cart. He was just a couple inches taller than her, but he knew how to hold his body to look more intimidating, larger, like someone that should not be challenged.

"I'm doing you a fucking courtesy by giving you a warning first. I've known him a long time, and the last thing I'll put up with is anyone who hurts him." He was being protective, like an angry dog watching over her pups from intruding strangers. Ryuko met his glare with her own.

"Look. No offense, but he's an adult. We're all adults here. I understand he's your friend, but your assumption that I'm some scheming bitch out to break his heart is misplaced." She let go of her shopping cart to cross her arms, showing that she wasn't going to back down from his threat. "I like him. I'm sure I don't have to tell you his good qualities, you probably know them better than I do. I have no intention of doing anything that would intentionally hurt him. I'm not some teenager out to cause a scene. I invited him to my fucking office party, to meet my coworkers, to see where I spend at least a third of my day, and because I enjoy spending time with him. He can look after himself and his own emotions; if I did anything actually bad then yeah you can scream at me all you want and I'll call it justified."

Bakugou stood there in an attempt to conceal the shock that hit his system as she spoke. Usually when he stood up to people, they conceded to his point, they shrunk back from him, they followed his orders. However, this woman seemed sturdy and grounded. It pissed him off that he could tell from her body language and inflection that her words weren't dishonest - but he didn't need to let her know that. Her voice was even, it didn't waver. He ground his teeth together in frustration.

"I'm fully aware that he can take care of himself, I'm not his damn parent. Who I don't trust is you, so like I said, this is a warning. I won't give another one." With that, Bakugou scoffed and stalked off to the other end of the aisle, not bothering to look back. Ryuko threw a couple more cans of cat food into her cart with a sigh. She rubbed her temples as trickles of familiar anxiety started creeping into her head.

"I'm not dealing with some overprotective roommate…he can just put up with me." Leaving the pet aisle, she walked over to the personal care and hygiene section. She grabbed some mouth wash, hand soap, but paused in front of the section holding tampons, pads, and condoms. She swallowed, looking up at the various boxes with different condom brands advertising various details that might make them more appealing compared to the others. She didn't realize that her hand was closed in a fist, her knuckles starting to turn white from the strain. Letting out a shaking breath, she retracted her hand and instead threw a box of tampons in the cart. She felt very tired all of a sudden.

"That will be a conversation for later. I can't think about this right now." With that, she walked away to finish the rest of her shopping.  
_

Kirishima rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he got ready for work Friday morning. He set out his clothes for the party the night before, making sure to give himself plenty of time to get ready after his shift. He'd come home, take a quick nap, shower, look presentable, and then head to the train station like he was going back to work. Maybe pick up a few more of the clothes and things thrown around his room so he didn't look like a total slob, just in case.

Mondays and Fridays were usually the busiest at the coffee shop. Mondays because people were covering from lazy weekend mornings, and Fridays because people needed an extra boost to get through the day as quickly as possible to get back to the weekend. The cycle always repeated.

Ryuko walked into the coffee shop like she had nearly every day for the past two weeks, waiting in line as the pleasant red-head at the register filtered through customers easily. After a few minutes it was her turn. Walking up to the counter she was greeted with that blinding toothy smile she'd grown attached to. His smile reached his eyes, something she rarely saw in other people.

"Good morning! Oh, what's that under your arm?" Kirishima looked down at a flat rectangular box held between her waist and elbow.

"We have a bunch of meetings today, and they're gonna be long and boring, so I stopped to get snacks to placate any grumpy directors and producers to get through the meetings faster." Kirishima smirked at the tactic. "Are you excited for tonight?"

"Ha, yeah! It starts at 8 right? Are you going to just stay there until the party or…?"

"No, they're kicking us out at 5 so they can move around tables and chairs and bring in all the extras. So I'll be going home first and coming back."

"Ok, do you want to meet at the train station then and walk together?" She smiled as she set down the box of treats on the counter to fish out her wallet.

"Yeah, that'll work." She paid as he rung up her order. He had memorized it permanently at this point, rarely deviating from the same pastry and coffee she ordered everyday. Ryuko gave him lingering eye contact with half lidded eyes as she turned away to wait for her coffee. Kirishima snapped back to attention as the next customer came up to order.

She was about to walk out the door with her coffee with Kirishima called out behind her.

"Hey! Don't forget your box!" He held the rectangular box out past the counter as she turned around.

"Shit, thanks. Sorry you're just so distracting, it's easy forget what I was doing." A slight tinge of pink hit the top of his ears as she turned away again. "See you tonight!" With that, she was out the door and down the street. A small voice behind Kirishima brought him out of staring at the door where his crush just walked out of.

"Dude, she wants you bad. You're gonna get lucky." Kirishima turned around to see the teenage employee behind him quickly resume what he was doing after the comment. His expression turned a bit sour.

"Hey, don't talk about her, or anyone, like that. Not around me." Kirishima considered respect for the people he cared about a very manly trait, and he wasn't going to let someone refer to his crush like some sexual conquest. If anything she kind of reminded him of Bakugou, except less explosive and angry. She was very resolute in what she believed to be important, independent, and considered him an equal despite their current career or financial differences. He liked her - a lot - and he wasn't going to let someone talk disrespectfully towards her.

Ryuko was doodling in the margins of her notebook coming up on the second hour of the afternoon meeting. The doodle just happened to look suspiciously like a certain red-haired individual on her mind. Eventually everyone started wrapping up and filtering out of the conference room. Sitting back down at her desk with a groan, she had a new chat from Ochaco.

O: are u excited? ;)

R: if i get drunk keep me from making too much of a scene

O:…but i wanna drink too D:

R: well then we're both fucked

O: if we're luckyyyyyyy

R: omg no NO! i mean u can do whatever but i need to slow this shit down

O: plkjalskdjfl ok ok we'll keep u from licking him

R: i regret telling u that

Ryuko watched the computer clock tick by slowly, trying to keep focused on work that still needed to be done despite buzzing excitement from everyone about the party. They had one big celebration once a year, and there was always some drunken mess that someone got into. For the most part she thought it was fun, but once people started getting too loud she'd retreat back to an empty couch or her desk to take a break from the new hires that couldn't hold their alcohol.

Kirishima had been texting her sporadically throughout the day. He got off work at 3 and was already at his home. He had sent her a pic of his outfit to ask if it was ok, and it definitely was. Khaki slacks and a black button up. Simple but appropriate, and it looked damn good on him too.

Eventually 5 o'clock hit, and everyone was ushered out of the office while some volunteers remained to help carry in various foods and tables. Once she was home, she took a quick shower to freshen up before changing into her dress. It had taken years of practice, but she was finally able to zip up a dress by herself with minimal effort.

"Should I do…fuck it." Ryuko applied some dark red lipstick, making sure to wipe it off her teeth before tossing it into her purse for reapplication later. She applied some rarely used perfume that was a small sample of some expensive brand, just enough to smell if someone was close by. Switching over to a smaller purse, she stuffed in the essentials: wallet, office key card, glasses, notebook and pencil, keys, a small comb, gum, cellphone…and pepper spray. She bought it several years ago, and luckily hadn't had to use it. But she wasn't one to take chances.

Kirishima looked at himself one last time in the mirror, grabbing some last minute mouth wash for good measure. Kirishima probably thought about this event as something more serious than it was, but to him it felt like a big deal. She was inviting him into her work, somewhere she spent a lot of time and knew people. It was a locked office that was closed off to the public, so it felt like some secret club he got an exclusive invitation to. He grabbed his wallet, keys…and at the last minute went back to his room. He opened up the box of condoms he bought the previous day and stuck a couple in his pocket.

"Just in case," he mumbled to himself.

"Yo, Bakugou! I'm leaving. I'll probably be back late."

"Why should I care?" His roommate called from somewhere unseen down the hallway. Kirishima groaned as his hand started to open the front door.

"Just figured I'd let you know…" And he was out the door, locking it behind him. "He's been grumpier than usual lately. And that's saying something."

Ryuko arrived at the train station first, leaning against a pillar to keep an eye on the incoming trains. It was almost 8, but there was no rush to be at the party right when it started. Scrolling through her phone, she looked up when she heard someone call her name. A familiar grinning red-head walked towards her, hand waving to catch her attention. Even in the dim light of the train station he looked like a beacon of happiness, the yellow glow of cheap bulbs highlighting his silhouette like a filtered photo.

"Hey! Hopefully you weren't waiting too long. Wow, uh sorry, you look really nice. Pictures didn't do it justice." Kirishima was trying very hard not to stare at the beautiful woman in front of him. Was that a small blush he saw?

"Aw, thanks. You're really good at flattery as I've told you before. You clean up nicely too."

"Can I uh, give you a hug? It's ok if you don't-"

"Yeah." He didn't hesitate when he heard the confirmation. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, their cheeks brushing against one another as he leaned down since he was taller than her. Ryuko's arms came up to wrap around his torso, feeling the muscles underneath his shirt. His hug felt like drinking a warm cup of tea.

 _She smells nice._

 _He smells nice._

He reluctantly broke from the hug, not wanting it to linger or feel awkward since they still stood in front of the train station. Ryuko cleared her throat, then gave a cheesey thumbs-up.

"You ready?" Kirishima mirrored her expression and gesture, making her stifle a giggle.

"Hell yeah!" And with that they walked down the street towards the party.


	7. Chapter 7

They walked down the street, eventually passing the coffee shop. It didn't look nearly as inviting at night as it did during the day, lights turned out and dark shadows dancing inside cast from the street lamps that lit their way.

"Ok so I'm warning you now, I'm going to drink at this thing. Like…I'm not gonna get drunk, hangovers suck. But I'm probably going to act like an idiot, so prep for that." Kirishima tried to stifle his laugh unsuccessfully.

"What kind of drunk are you? Like a happy talkative drunk? Some people get really quiet, or go the opposite route and lose all volume control."

"Mmm, maybe a bit of the first two? I tend to get very giggly, and I laugh at honestly anything even if it makes no sense. I feel like I go back and forth between being social, and then wanting to just sit down somewhere quiet." Ryuko led them across the street to a tall office building where most of the lights were out except for a couple of floors about a third of the way up. "Ok, we're here." Swiping her keycard, she opened the door to the building and let them both inside.

"This is basically a house party with adults and the location happens to be in an office. Don't expect a lot of professionalism tonight." They stepped into the elevator, Ryuko pressing the button to the proper floor. She looked to her left at Kirishima, hands in his pockets, looking calm but excited. She held up a finger and gestured for him to come closer. Leaning over, their faces almost touching, she whispered into his hear "thanks for coming," before giving him a peck on the cheek. "Oh shit hold on," she said laughing, bringing a hand up to wipe his cheek. "Got some lipstick on you, OK you're good." Before she could pull away, he gave her one right back. The smile on his face could have melted a bucket of ice with its warmth.

"I'm happy to be here with you. Thanks for inviting me!" Kirishima was forced to pull away as the elevator doors opened. He nearly gasped at the sight in front of him.

This wasn't a normal boring looking office that he expected, not by a long shot. They worked at an animation studio, and naturally there was a lot of artwork and creative decorating happening on every surface. Framed posters of shorts and shows they had produced or collaborated on hung on a long wall to the left. All of the desks were simple uniform tables with tablet monitors and fancy looking powerful computers, but everyone seemed to decorate their desks to suit their personalities. Some had action figures, others had stuffed animals, one desk was piled high with various boxes of tea and snacks. The room was alive with not only artwork, but people as well. Laughing employees with their own guests walked around on the floor, light music playing from the very back echoing across the tiles and muffled by shifting bodies. This was certainly an unconventional office space, already.

"Oh wow, this place looks awesome! You have to show me your desk so I can see how messy it is." He a little shove for that, but it didn't have any anger behind it.

"Oh my god, you're not wrong though it's honestly a mess." She led him around the crowd towards the other side of the office. While he was distracted taking in everything, Ryuko glimpsed Tsu and Ochako talking across the room. Tsu noticed Ryuko and her guest, and grabbed Ochako's face to turn her towards the couple. Her face was already red, a mostly empty drink in her hand. She pointed excitedly towards them, trying very hard to keep from laughing at nothing in particular. Tsu just gave a silent thumbs-up, Ryuko hoping she didn't end up looking like a moron before the night was over.

"Ok, can you guess which desk is mine?" They stopped at a corner room filled with about seven rows of desks. Kirishima hummed to himself as he analyzed the tabletops of all the desks, trying to pick out anything that might remind him of his date. After a few minutes of going back and forth humming to himself, he finally pointed down to one, picking up a book and waving it in the air.

"You mentioned you were reading this book, right?"

"Uh yeah, you remembered?" She was a bit taken aback that he actually remembered a passing comment on a book she started reading during lunch the previous week.

"Sure! I feel I'm a pretty good listener. I'm guessing I'm right then?" He set the book down and surveyed the rest of the room. "You're in charge of all these people? I bet you're a great boss." There was that blinding smile again, and this time she couldn't help but hide her blush from the flattery. Commenting on her looks was one thing, but she really did care about doing well at her job, and making sure her team succeeded in area that she could directly control.

"Mmm…I hope so. It's stressful sometimes, keeping track of so many people. My job as a Director is to ultimately make them be better than me, to give them the potential to excel. There's this…mentality in a lot of places that keeping your position is more important than helping the people around you to the best of your ability. If you boost yourself while pushing others down, it'll only hinder your team. I probably won't work here forever, and someone here will take my place eventually. And hopefully they can improve on what I'm building…what?" She had spaced out while talking, but turned back to Kirishima. He had this…look on his face that made her breath catch in her throat. It was the look of someone who was falling into something deeper than he could understand in that single moment. He blinked, and the spell was broken.

"Uh, sorry. Um…yeah, I was right. You're a really good boss."

"Oh hey look alcohol yes I need some of that." The air was thick, and she needed something to thin it significantly. She pulled him over to a table filled with cheap beer, sake, and plum wine. "It's all free so go nuts." They made a mock toast with their cheap plastic cups, signaling the start of a long night.

"Oh, are you hungry? I'm a bad host, there's food over in the kitchen." Kirishima's eyes seemed light up at the mention of food, so she set her purse down at her desk, covering it with a blanket she kept around, and led him into the area filled with increasingly energetic and loud people. She grabbed his hand to lead him through the crowd to the tables with various snacks and foods, and he held onto it gladly.

"You guys don't hold back on the parties…" Kirishima's mouth started to water at the impressive spread. He went straight for anything with meat in it, Ryuko adding some greens and rice to her own plate. Before they could head back to the more secluded area around her department an intoxicated brunette nearly tripped in front of them.

"I FOUND YOU! You've been hiding…" Ochako's cheeks were flushed from the obvious alcohol on her breath, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Uh…Kirishima, this is my coworker Ochako. As you can tell she's drunk."

He nodded in her direction, "Hi, nice to meet you!" Ochako smiled crookedly at his happy demeanor. At that moment they were jointed by another person, this one with long dark green hair and large eyes. It took a moment, but a look of recognition hit him.

"Hmm…sorry, you look familiar. Do I know you?" Tsu smiled warmly up at him.

"Yes, you do. We had some classes together in college. When Ryu described you, I had a strong suspicion that I knew who she was talking about." Tsu kept a calm face as she held Ochako to keep her from wobbling to the ground in a giggling fit.

"Aha, you're right! Tsu, correct? It's good to see you again." The green haired woman nodded in confirmation.

"We'll let you guys eat, c'mon Ochako. You need to drink some water." Tsu started to lead her coworker away, when Ochako broke free to point back over to Kirishima.

"You better be nice to her! I'll kick your ass if I find out you're mean!" Quickly covering her mouth and voicing an apology, Tsu managed to lead Ochako back around to the other end of the room towards a table with bottled water. Kirishima's gaze lingered where they disappeared in the crowd, then slid over to his date next to him. She didn't look up as she cleared her throat.

"Uh, we can go back over to the couches near my desk if that's ok." She started to lead the way back to where they came from. Kirishima followed, a bit concerned at the sudden shift in body language.

"Is everything ok? You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you right?" They sat down at an empty couch, Ryuko downing the rest of her drink before looking at him with a small smile.

"Yeah, I know. They're just protective, don't worry about it. We eat lunch together everyday so we're pretty close and they just.." she cleared her throat. "I invited you here to have a good time, right? So no somber moods tonight!" She popped some food into her mouth with a mock grin, a sign to move the conversation along to something new. Kirishima got the hint, not wanting to make her uncomfortable from prying.

They sat for a while just chatting about anything, learning more and more about each other. Ryuko was on her third cup of beer and it was showing. When she laughed really hard she snorted – just like when they were trying on crazy clothes at the thrift store - which made Kirishima nearly fall off the couch at how cute it was.

"So tell me, how did you come to work at the coffee shop? Have you always worked there?" Kirishima's smile fell a bit at the question.

"Ah, that's a bit of a story…" he said, scratching at his cheek.

"We have time. But uh, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said, noticing the slight hesitation in his voice.

"No, it's fine. I've been spending most of my off time looking for other job opportunities, but nothing's really stuck yet. After graduation…I started feeling like I wasn't good enough, no one would hire me. I could get interviews, but no one called me back after those first meetings. I've been at the shop a little over a year, and it's not a bad job or anything…but I think I can do better." His fingers slid against each other in a nervous fidget, his face staring out towards one of the large windows that looked out onto the dark city. A pair of firm hands grabbed him by the cheeks and turned him around to stare into the face of tipsy determination.

"HEY! Don't talk about yourself like that. You're smart, and nice, and a good listener, and I can tell you're a hard worker. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, ok? You're strong, I can tell." His face was getting warmer and warmer at the outpour of kind words. He didn't have very many people in his life - not that he kept in regular contact with, anyway - that could boost him up when his self confidence started to wane. He was usually the one helping others, but sometimes he needed help too. He leaned into the palm of her hand, his eyes almost closing. It was comfortable, he could stay like this. It was nice.

"…Thank you." Without thinking he turned his head to place the softest kiss into her hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world in that moment, a simple gesture of contact and appreciation. She didn't pull her hand away, the warmth of his cheeks in her palms pouring across her skin and down her arms like a blanket on a cool night. Opening her mouth to talk, she was interrupted by a verbal exchange close by. Ryuko looked up over the back of the couch, and to Kirishima her sudden change of expression reminded him of his angry roommate.

"What's wrong?"

"Stay here." She got up from the couch, surprisingly sturdy for how much she'd drank so far. Kirishima looked over the top of the couch to see what was about to happen.

An older looking man was talking with a woman who looked younger than Kirishima, maybe just out of college. The man was laughing loudly, a hand rubbing circles on the woman's shoulder. But her body language was a red flag that the touch was uninvited, but she nodded hesitantly at their conversation, maybe not wanting to appear rude. It made Kirishima's stomach churn, but he watched his date walk around and place herself happily between the two. She managed to unhinge the man from the other woman, explaining something about needing to talk to her for a moment. The man seemed persistent, but Ryuko stood her ground and shooed him away playfully. As soon as his back was turned, she flicked him off with a scowl as she led the younger woman away towards the couch.

"You OK?" The girl nodded shyly.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks. I'm kind of new, I don't really know him…"

"Even people you know or see everyday can be creeps. You can always say 'no' to something, or tell them to leave you alone. It's not rude. If he messes with you again come find me OK?" The younger woman looked from Ryuko to the man on the couch who gave her a thumbs up and flashed that smile of his.

"We'll help you out, no worries!" The young woman nodded as she made her way back over to the kitchen area, keeping an eye out for the man she wanted to avoid.

Ryuko leaned against the back of the couch, arms crossed, her expression sour.

"Most offices are patriarchies. All my bosses are men. Only recently does it feel like things are starting to shift, but there's still a long way to go. A lot of those old assholes don't understand they can't just…ugh." She threw her hands up in the air exasperated as she walked over to pour herself another drink. Kirishima got up from the couch and walked over to stretch his legs and join his date in front of large windows dark with the expanse of night outside. "Thanks for backing me up." He shook his head.

"Even though I'm a guy, I've never liked creeps like that. I try and speak up when I see shitty behavior but…" He chewed his lip, looking almost guilty for something that he wasn't responsible for. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that. Like I said earlier…you're a good boss." Ryuko held her cup but didn't take a drink as she looked out the window at the few flickering office lights still on across the street.

"I worked hard to get where I am. I used to play it down, but I've been trying not to do that so much anymore, to accept that I'm her because I earned it. There are more women working here than there were last year, almost twice as many. It's still not a lot, but it's something. I've told anyone on my team that if anyone ever makes them feel uncomfortable, if they don't want to talk to HR about it they can come to me. I won't put up with it. I might not be able to directly affect things, but if I can help someone feel more comfortable then I'll do it." She looked at their mirrored reflections in the dark window, watching as his eyes scanned over the dark horizon outside and eventually moving to meet the eyes in her reflection. She turned her head away, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

"Uh, hell sorry, I feel like I keep bringing the mood down."

"No, it's fine. I'm…finding out more about you. And that's not a bad thing." He moved a bit closer, she didn't move away. "You're pretty amazing from what I know so far." Her throat was dry as she turned her head to face him. He really was beautiful, ruby eyes glistening with acceptance and understanding that made her feel like she was swallowing molasses.

"HEY KARAOKE IS STARTING YOU CAN LICK EACH OTHER LATER!" Ryuko almost spilled her drink at the sudden screaming from the kitchen. Of-fucking-course Ochako had to come in at the perfectly wrong moment.

"Oh my god…" Kirishima laughed nervously, the break in atmosphere not lost on him. "I haven't done karaoke in…probably since college. Do you want to? It could be fun!" He was very effective at rolling with impromptu ideas and suggestions.

"Know what? Yeah sure this sounds like a good hilariously bad thing to watch."

Out of the handful of people brave enough to actually go up and sing, about two were OK and the rest were absolutely drunkenly terrible. Kirishima actually went up to sing and no one besides Ryuko, Tsu, and Ochako knew who he was but his energy was so great that it overshadowed the broken singing and everyone clapped. Overall it was an amazing end to the night when they left on a high note. It was almost 11 when they decided to head out, and on the way out Ryuko happened to glimpse a certain pair of friends talking in whispered tones, standing very close together, one holding the other's hand. Looks like the alcohol was just what Ochako actually needed after all.

They stepped into the elevator, Kirishima coming down from his karaoke high and Ryuko trying to suppress another round of drunken snickering. They were holding hands, fingers loosely intertwined.

"It feels like forever since I've really had this much fun! It's normally just go to work and come home, rinse and repeat without a lot of stuff in between." His eyes were shining like warm wet stars.

"I needed this break in monotony, like so bad…thanks for coming with me." She pressed the button to go down to the ground floor. As soon as the door closed, it was just them. He moved closer, his breath hot on her ear. It sent sparks down her spine.

"Can I kiss you?" Her breath caught in her throat for what felt like the hundredth time that night. This time, she didn't hesitate.

"Yes." Everything unraveled.

Unable to wait any longer, he cupped her chin gently as his lips met hers. It felt like a dam was cracking in her chest, electricity shooting from her mouth down her spine like a jolt. His lips were chapped but still soft. And so warm. Everything felt so warm, the blood in her veins burning from the inside out a river on fire. It was delicate, but sturdy, a reflection of what she saw in him. Time seemed to be going at different speeds simultaneously, like they had all the time and no time at all. She intertwined their fingers, his hand was sweaty. She didn't care.

The last remnants of her lipstick had rubbed off hours ago, but even if it didn't he wouldn't have minded. Like a mark left behind. Her lips were plump and she tasted like alcohol and power. He'd wanted to do this all night, even before then, his face on fire from the collective heat of every pent up breath being let out at once. The hum of the elevator sounded like music in this moment, echoing in his ears and chest.

The ring of the elevator brought them back far too soon. The door opened, revealing the cold dark emptiness of the ground floor.

"Um…we should go." He spoke against her lips, breaking the kiss with extreme reluctance.

"I know." They didn't move, bodies pressed together against the cold metal of the elevator.

The doors were about to close again, but Kirishima reluctantly jumped to open them back up. Still holding onto her hand like he never wanted to let go, he led them out of the elevator and into the cool air of the night.

The walk back to the train station wasn't nearly as talkative as it was on the way to the party. It was like they were in a hurry to get to a destination that didn't exist. When they reached streetlights illuminating the station, Kirishima didn't stop in front of the trains. He kept walking, leading them out of the way of most of the people to an area behind a wide pillar. He seemed out of breath despite their walking pace.

"Sorry, I just…" he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Can I kiss you again?"

This time he was up against the wall as she leaned up to grab the collar of his shirt, bringing his lips to meet hers. He was taken back by the forward gesture but he certainly wasn't against it. Their lips moved faster now, adrenaline pumping through pumping veins. It was a bit clumsy and rushed at first, but after half a minute they fell into a rhythm, heads tilted in opposite directions. He was careful not to bite, even though his hungry mouth wanted to sing into hers. Kirishima's hands came up to rest on her shoulders, thumbs rubbing circles into her skin. Her hands still clung to his shirt in an attempt to hold onto this moment, this experience. Another train came and went.

She eventually forced herself to pull away, breathless, lips red and used from friction. Chancing to look up at him was a bad idea, because he look he gave her with those smoldering red eyes said _don't go_. How could someone hold so many different emotions with only their eyes? He pulled her in without words, as if words could properly capture a look like his.

"Uh…I-I should go." Swallowing hard, she thought to herself that she couldn't stay, it was a bad idea. Ryuko slowly let go of his shirt, his collar wrinkled from her grip. His hands were still on her shoulders. Luckily he didn't push it and accepted her answer.

"Alright. Did you have fun at least?" The question held several different unsaid meanings. His breaths were still a bit ragged.

"What kind of question is that? We just made out for like ten minutes, and I'm feeling pretty good right now. Better than I have in a long time. So yeah, I had fun." She couldn't tell if the flush on her face was from the confession or the alcohol. Possibly both. Either way it made Kirishima laugh, a sound that warmed her like the coffee she bought every morning. There was that damn smile again.

"I'm glad. I had fun too. I'm off work tomorrow, are you free?" This time she laughed.

"Really? You aren't tired of hanging out with me yet?" He shook his head in disbelief, looking morally offended in a non-serious way.

"What? No, so far I can't get enough…um sorry that was-" She cut him off with another kiss. It was gentle and not long enough, like the one in the elevator. It still sent sparks through her skin like the prickle of static.

"Yeah, I'm free."

They waited on their respective trains, this time standing in the yellow light of the street lamps. When her train started pull in, she pulled him in for one more kiss. He smiled against her lips.

"Call me when you get home, ok?"

"Sure, of course I will," like it was the most natural thing to say. As if it wasn't even a question that needed to be asked. He smiled and waved as she jumped onto the mostly empty train. She turned back around before the doors closed and gave him a look that, even from far away, he could tell held something like pooling hope. And with that, the doors closed.

She sat down, letting out a shaky breath. Her lips were still warm even though the air outside was slightly cool. She could still taste him on her mouth, still hungry, like sampling something that you wanted more of but knew was bad for you. Checking her phone for the first time in several hours, she saw Ochako had texted her. It was a picture of her and Tsu looking adorable with the caption "did u guys kiss yet? WE DID!"

"Oh my god what a dork…" She replied anyway with a simple "yesss."

Kirishima's train arrived a few minutes after Ryuko's left. Even though it was late and he was tired, his heart felt like bursting with something he couldn't quite name. No one could keep the toothy smile off his face. There were a couple of serious heartfelt moments, things that humbled him as a person. Even though he had his own problems, most of them were things he was actively working to change. Things that had the option to change. But for her it seemed like it was an uphill battle. But he was pretty sturdy, maybe she'd let him be a support in the future.

Ryuko walked off the train and towards her apartment. It was very dark at this point, a few of the street lamps needing replacement bulbs leaving gaps in visibility on the cracked sidewalk. The alcohol in her system affected her walk only slightly. The apartment wasn't far, just a couple of blocks away. She'd made this walk hundreds of times.

A hand clamped over her mouth from behind, muffling the scream that tried to escape.


	8. Chapter 8

_**NOTE:** This chapter is pretty angsty and contains mentions of assault. Please read with caution if you are not comfortable with that content._

She was being pulled off the sidewalk into an area where one of the street lamps was out, darkness at her back. One hand clawed desperately at the grip covering her mouth as her nails dug into the clammy skin of her attacker, fingers specked with a thin veil of blood. She used the other hand to bring her purse down on what she hoped was her attacker's head behind her, aiming the metal clasp down. She heard grunts and an angry yelp as he was thrown off balance from her kicking legs. His hand loosened just enough where she opened her mouth and bit down on one of his fingers as hard as she could while screaming out. She heard a bone crack and felt hot blood fill her mouth, the sharp taste of iron nearly making her gag.

The attacker let go after screaming from his broken finger. So far he hadn't said any intelligible words, only angry grunts and heavy breathing. As soon as he let go she tried to run, but her arm was grabbed by his unbroken hand. She turned around, hair whipping her face, a look of a terrifying rage ready to explode.

"I WILL NOT BE A VICTIM, FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU!" Her free hand came forward as she jammed her thumb into his eye socket, feeling the sticky eyeball move on the pad of her finger as she screamed. She kept pushing, his hand with the broken finger coming up to yank her arm away. She never stopped screaming. There was blood dripping down his face, down her hand, down her forearm, and into the dry grass at her feet.

He finally let her go to grasp his bleeding eye socket. Once she was free she ran. She ran, and kept running and did not look back. Rocks hitting her bare feet didn't slow her down, skin numb mind racing as she kept running until she was at her apartment building. Her breathing was ragged but she didn't stop. She flung open the door and slammed it shut, causing several picture frames on the wall to fall to the floor. A scared meow was heard somewhere in the dark apartment. She locked the door, grabbing a chair and holding it under the doorknob for extra protection. Breathing ragged in half sobs it was like her body was still moving even though she was standing still. Her eyes couldn't focus. She still tasted blood that wasn't hers in her mouth. Dropping her purse on the ground, the clasp broken, the contents spilled out onto the floor. She didn't care. After what felt like hours, she sank to the ground and screamed into the crook of her elbow. Tears spilled down her face and onto the dirty carpet. She couldn't stop shaking. Without moving, she held her breath trying to slow her breathing and just listened. She listened for any noise, any sound at all, something to indicate if she was truly alone. Everything was still, like someone had stopped time, the hands of an unseen clock pausing for nothing but dramatic effect.

"F-fuck…fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck holy shit oh god ohmygod no no no…" Her legs felt like water but she managed to stand up. Stumbling to the bathroom, she turned on every light on the way there and checked each room to make sure she was truly alone. She almost threw up she she saw herself in the bathroom mirror.

Her face was covered in blood and dirt, makeup smeared from her eyes to her mouth. Hair clung to her sticky face. She could still see finger prints in the blood on her left cheek. Her fingernails were disgusting, several of them broken, skin and dirt and blood under all of them. Her right hand and forearm was crusty with saliva and drying blood. She had lost her shoes, feet sore from running on the bare pavement. Feeling bile bubble up in her throat, she threw herself onto the toilet as the threw up. It tasted awful and burned her throat, snot and dirty tears and blood mixing with the alcohol from the party that seemed like years ago.

Grabbing a black towel she wiped mouth. She opened the tube of toothpaste and squirted some directly into her mouth along with some mouthwash, swirling it around vigorously. By the time she spit it out, the blue mouthwash was dark purple as it mixed with red in her mouth. She brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth at least five more times until she tasted nothing but the burn of clean alcohol. Everything was so quiet aside from the ragged breathing forcing its way in and out of her lungs like a dying animal. A noise, something in the other room, made her eyes snap back to the front door. Stumbling out of the bathroom, her phone was vibrating against the floor, screen lighting up the darkness at the front of her apartment. Her movements were lumbered and slow as she made her way towards the phone. The ringing had stopped by the time she got to it. She kept her eyes trained on the front door as she kneeled down to pick it up, not looking at it until she was back in the light of the hallway. Kirishima called. New Voicemail.

"Hey! I figured you'd be home by now since you usually text when you leave work then again when you get home. I'm not uh keeping track or anything…just making sure you got back alright. Call me back!" Click.

She broke down crying again.

Kirishima pushed the End Call button his phone. He had changed into comfy pajamas and was sitting in his room thinking back on the events of the night. Running a hand through his hair he put it back in a wide headband, something he did during workouts or at night to keep the hair out of his eyes as hair gel didn't hold up well to time or sweat. The kisses they shared still lingered like static on his skin. He hadn't stopped smiling since he got on the train, much to his roommates chagrin. His phone vibrated in his hand, she was calling him back.

"Hey! I just wanted to check-" he heard a strange noise on the other end making his brows furrow. "What's that? I couldn't hear you." There it was again. The unmistakeable sound of a concealed sob. He bolted upright, smile immediately wiped from his face.

"What's wrong? Are you crying? What happened?" She sniffled on the other end, trying to catch her breath to talk. He was silent waiting for some kind of answer, something to erase this terrible feeling in his gut.

"…Kirishima…" His name, so quiet. "Something happened." She sounded out of breath. A hand flew to his mouth.

"Wh-what? What happened? Are you hurt?!" He was trying not to yell but confirmation that something was very wrong was making it difficult. More sniffles and gasps on the other end.

"Um…I don't know. S..some.." She didn't want to say the words, saying them made them true, made them real. "…attack. Grabbed me. I was walking home." Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned the phone up between his ear and shoulder, flinging off his pajama pants and grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor.

"Are you at home now? Where are you? Are they still around?" He was just as breathless as she was at this point, his brain firing at insane speeds trying to think through what to do.

"Um, I-I got away. I'm home. Door is locked, everything is quiet…" Her voice trailed off at the end. "I don't…I can't-"

"Do you want me to come over? Because I will." His voice was steady, making sure to convey that he wanted to be there in case she really needed him. It was silent on the other end for a minute, Kirishima pausing in getting ready to leave to hear her answer.

"…yeah. I don't…I don't want to be alone here." That was all the confirmation he needed before opening his door and walking into the kitchen. He flung open a drawer to find a pen and pad of paper. His hand was shaking as he asked her for her address. The noise in the kitchen had caused Bakugou to swing open his own bedroom door and walk down the hallway.

"OI! The fuck are you doing? You're making a racket." When Kirishima set down his phone and turned around to face his roommate, all the air in Bakugou's lungs fled him in that moment.

"Something happened, something's wrong I don't know. Ryuko said someone fucking attacked her or something when she was walking home and-"

"Attacked?! What do you mean attacked like assault?" Bakugou's face was a pit of rage in this moment, Kirishima's filled with anger and worry.

"Dude I don't. KNOW." Kirishima's hands were shaking, not knowing what to do but unable to jus stand still. "She was crying and I'm trying to figure out what the hell to do." He looked at Bakugou for some type of answer, anything to bring him back down to a rational thinking point.

"Did she call the police?"

"She didn't say, just that she got away and locked herself in her apartment. So I need to go, she doesn't want to be alone." He ran his hands down his face and took a deep breath before ripping the paper with the address off the notepad and putting it in his pocket. "That's the manly thing to do, right?"

Bakugou was quiet, which would normally be uncharacteristic in any other circumstance. But Kirishima knew why, and didn't question it. His face held some other emotion, some unspoken reaction that the red-head couldn't read, not in this current moment when his brain was in overdrive and his heart was beating out of his chest. "…Yeah. She lives alone right? So go. Just let me know if you plan on coming back so I don't think someone is breaking in at 3 am or something…"

Kirishima just nodded and grabbed his things. Bakugou was leaning against the wall leading into the kitchen as Kirishima passed him. He slid on his running shoes and paused at the door one last time, looking back over his shoulder at the blonde man hidden mostly in the shadow of the room. Kirishima was in the light, Bakugou in the dark. A worried look on his face, he opened the door and left without another word.

Bakugou gritted his teeth and slammed his fist against the wall. Without looking up he knew he caused some sort of damage. He'd pay for it later.

Kirishma practically sprinted to the train station, lucky his dedication to jogging was paying off in an actually important way. He took out the piece of paper and found the train that would take him over to her area of town.

The entire ride he was on edge, knee bouncing up and down. He texted her to say he was on his way over and to not leave the apartment, but she didn't reply. After what seemed like far too long, the train finally stopped and he all but bolted out and down the street towards the address.

It was only a minute though before he slowed down, seeing something in the middle of the sidewalk. Kneeling down, he saw that it was a shoe…but it was a familiar shoe. It was the same type of shoe she was wearing earlier that night. With a shaking hand he picked it up, and quickly noticed something else that took the air right out of his lungs.

There were specks of blood on the ground, leading away down the sidewalk in the direction he was headed. He looked up, noticing how dark it was right in this stretch of road with several broken street lights. Tears were starting to prickle at his eyes realizing that whatever happened here was much worse than he originally thought. He turned to his right where there were some bushes, the grass looking disturbed in an area farther back. Scanning the area for anyone around, any movement at all, he walked over towards the bushes and found her other discarded shoe. There was more blood on the ground, barely visible against the sparse grass.

"What the hell…what am I doing just standing here?!" He continued down the road without any other distractions, slowing down when he finally reached the building. It took him a minute to find the number. He shut his eyes and raised his hand to knock, hoping she was still safe inside.

Her skin was scrubbed raw, red from the hot water and viscous washing she gave herself in the shower. She needed to get all the blood and dirt off, to erase any evidence – any memory – of what happened. She clipped her fingernails short to match the two broken ones. She threw her dress and broken purse in the garbage. Kneeling on the carpet with a bucket and scrub brush, she went to work erasing the blood stains dragged into her home from fighting for her life. She nearly screamed when she heard a knock at the door.

"It's Kirishima. I can text you to prove it's me." He quickly took out his phone and sent a text saying simply that he was at the door. The phone vibrated next to her but she didn't pick it up.

Standing up from the floor, she grabbed the chair that was still wedged under the door knob and shakily set it off to the side. Her hand hesitated on the lock, feeling as if the air outside would bring the experience rushing back like a backstab. There was another knock.

"I promise it's me…I just need to make sure you're OK." Biting her lip, she unlatched the door, and opened. it.

There he was, sturdy and unyielding. He looked sweaty and slightly out of breath, but there was no mistaking his hair – even if it was in a headband – and his eyes. They stared at her as he took her in, standing smaller than he'd ever seen her.

She wore a baggy sweatshirt with what looked like paint stains all over it. Mismatched sweatpants and wet hair made her look so tired. At first her face seemed not to register he was there, completely blank of any expression. All of a sudden her lip started to tremble and she almost crumpled to the ground. But he caught her.

"Hey hey, it's ok it's ok I'm here. You're safe now I promise." He moved inside the apartment and closed the door with his foot. She was trembling at this point and the sound of her crying made his heart break. It was like a vice gripped his insides and was restricting his ability to see anything other than beating the hell out of whoever hurt her. He noticed a couch off to the side and led her to it sitting her down. He quickly got up and locked the door and noticed the state of the room for the first time, dropping the shoes he picked up off to the side.

The bucket on the floor had dirty pink water in it next to a red stain on the floor. Off to the left were two picture frames on the floor, one of them looking slightly cracked and askew. Every single light in the apartment was turned on it seemed. Sliding off his own shoes he walked back over to the couch and sat in front of her on the floor, shame starting to overtake him. Just a few hours ago they were having such a good time, singing, growing closer…he should have escorted her home, should have been there. Should have done SOMETHING. Being here after the fact felt like cleaning up the aftermath when it should have been prevented in the first place.

"Hey, you're safe in here ok? The door is locked, no one can get in." A box of tissues caught his eye off on a side table, so he reached over and grabbed it, setting it down on the couch in case she wanted it.

"You don't…you don't have to tell me what happened, if you don't want to. I'll just be here, alright? I can get you some water or tea or something…if you need it.." He felt so helpless in this moment. What else could he do? After a minute she grabbed a tissue, wiping her face and balling it up in her hand. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, but it seemed like she was starting to calm down.

"Um…fuck, I'm so sorry-"

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? Don't you dare think for a minute this was your fault ok?" But she shook her head, realizing he misunderstood what she was apologizing for.

"No, no…I know I'm not. I know I'm-it's not my fault. I'm sorry for…" Her wet eyes flitted to the hurt look on his face. "Kirishima tonight was so nice. The party, YOU, there are a lot of nice memories and now all I can think about is how this will be the thing that stands out."

Kirishima was at a loss for words. That's what she was worried about, ruining their date? Her health and safety were more important than any stupid party, and he needed to let her know.

"Please don't be sorry for thinking this bad thing will taint any good memories, because it won't. OK? It doesn't erase that we had fun, that you watched me make an ass of myself at karaoke, that I enjoyed finding out more about you, that you're just…pretty amazing. To me." He shook his head, wondering if that was the right thing to say. "I'm sorry if I say anything dumb, I just don't want you to think for a minute this bad memory will overshadow the good ones. And if I have to remind you of all the good ones everyday…then I will, OK?"

She opened her mouth like she was going to speak, but the words were lost in her throat. She reached down and grabbed his hands. They were bigger than hers, the muscles under his skin rippling slightly as she rubbed her thumbs across across his skin. They were gentle and felt like safety.

"…can I write down, what happened? I don't…I don't think I can say it. I don't want to."

"Yeah, yeah that's fine. Do you have a notebook or.." She pointed over to the table where he grabbed the tissues, a sketchbook sitting there with a pencil. He grabbed it and handed it over. Hearing something that made him turn, a pair of yellow green eyes stared back at him from the other side of the room.

As she shakily scribbled on the page, Ghost slowly made his way over to Kirishima, sniffing at an outstretched hand not unlike a dog trying to figure out if he was good or bad. After a moment he climbed into Kirishima's folded up legs and laid down like it was an everyday occurrence. He watched patiently as her hand moved, gently petting the cat that made Kirishima's warmth his new nap spot. Eventually she handed him back the notebook and he took it reluctantly, afraid of what he was about to read.

The room was silent aside from the occasional gasp as he read through her recount of what happened. Eventually he set the notebook down, swallowing hard at the words burned into his brain.

"So…all that blood I saw outside-"

"It was his. I didn't see any cuts when I got home."

"When I passed by that spot I looked around and didn't see anyone, he must have run away. Did you call the police when you got back?" Her breath hitched at the question, avoiding eye contact.

"No. I didn't."

"You weren't hurt, but I figured-"

"I have a very specific reason why I didn't call. It's…it's just a whole other thing that I can't think about right now." Kirishima's brows furrowed in confusion. Was she in some sort of trouble outside of the current situation? Police were there to help though, right?

"…Are you-"

"And before you ask, I'm not, like, wanted or anything like that, I don't have a warrant out for my arrest, I'm not on the run. Fuck…you probably think I'm some crazy person hiding secrets and shit. But I'll tell you right now that you have a face that's impossible to lie to. And it's something that I was going to tell you anyway…if things kept moving forward…" She trailed off, chancing a glance at the face of the man she'd known for only two weeks who went across town because she said she was in trouble and didn't want to be alone.

"Why would I think you're crazy? I mean we all have stuff in our past that influences who we are now. You're safe, and honestly that's all I care about. If you were hurt and needed an ambulance and didn't call then yeah I might be kind of upset. You don't have to tell me now…it's been a really long day anyway so you can tell me when you're ready." Kirishima was still petting the purring cat in his lap when he realized something and abruptly stopped, making Ghost meow at the lack of contact. "Oh..uh. Can I…do you want me to…stay here tonight? I don't even know if the trains run this late, and I want to make sure you're OK…" For the first time since he arrived, she managed a small smile.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting you to leave once you got here at…midnight? Wow it's late. And…thank you. For everything." Kirishima shook his head.

"That's what you do for people you care about, right? You help them when they need it." He looked off to the side, hoping his confession that he cared about her didn't make the flush of his ears too noticeable.

"Yeah, that's what good people do. But not everyone is a good person." Her face fell a bit, but didn't want the current tone in the air to shift back to uncomfortable silence. "I just need to sleep. I'm sure you're tired too, but can you help me for a minute? I just…I can't leave blood on the floor, I'll lose it if it stains and I have to see it everyday…do you mind picking up those photos over there that fell? I slammed the door really hard when I got in…" She was finally feeling calm now that she was safe and someone was here with her in case something else happened. She bent down and kissed him gently on the forehead as she got up from the couch, going back over to the discarded bucket of pink soapy water.

Ghost was not happy that Kirishima had to stand up, scurrying away down the hallway. "I think your cat likes me." He walked over to the two fallen picture frames and picked them up, hanging them each on a crooked nail sticking out of the wall.

"I don't have a lot of people over, it's usually just me so he doesn't see other people often. But he has a good judge of character I feel. Also he likes belly rubs, so there's that, too." The stain was mostly dried into the floor, but some vigorous scrubbing could get most of it out. If it was still visible she'd get a small rug to cover it up. "Do you mind going into the kitchen and making some tea? If there's anything you want in there feel free to grab it. Oh…and put those shoes in the trash, please." The dirty shoes that Kirishima brought in were off to her left, covered in grass and bad memories.

"Sure, I can do that." He picked up the shoes – they felt heavier now than they did an hour ago – and opened up the trash can beside the kitchen. Inside was the dress she wore tonight, a dark stain ruining the front. It made his heart drop. He tossed the shoes in with the dress, knowing they would just bring her back to tonight if she saw them. Maybe he could buy her a new dress soon to replace this one, create a good memory to overshadow the bad one.

He walked into the small kitchen, finding a couple boxes of tea on the counter. It took a minute of searching through the cabinets but eventually found two mugs and an electric kettle. "Does it matter which of these teas you want?"

"Hm, no, either is fine."

While the water was heating up, Kirishima glanced around to get a proper look at the apartment for the first time. It was very eclectic, far more decorated than his and Bakugou's place. The pictures he hung up looked like artwork rather than photographs, and other pieces hung up on several different walls. There was a small bookshelf with various fake-looking plants and a couple of movies, as well as some dusty boxes filled with knick knacks that hadn't been taken out in months. It was definitely somewhere that seemed to suit a more creative person than himself. He heared shuffling behind him and looked to see Ryuko carrying the bucket of water down the hall into what looked to be a bathroom.

"The bathroom is right here if you need it, I think I have a spare toothbrush in here somewhere from the dentist…" She grabbed a towel and wash cloth from a closet and set the toothbrush on top, as well as a spare blanket and pillow from her bedroom. Walking back past the kitchen, she stopped in the doorway to see red-haired man waiting patiently for the water to boil.

"I like your hair like that. Not that it was bad before or anything, I just like it this way too." He turned around to see her staring at him, blankets and a pillow spilling from her arms. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly he let out a nervous laugh.

"Really? I've spiked up my hair like that since highschool…I just never fell out of the habit I guess."

"It looks soft. Can I touch..?" She cringed inwardly at her own words as they trailed off into silence. "Uh, sorry that's a weird thing to ask.." She quickly left the kitchen doorway to set up the couch into a makeshift bed. It wasn't much, but better than nothing. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around to see Kirishima with a mug in each hand, one extended out towards her.

"You can touch it. I've been told it's pretty soft so it's not weird." She reached up hesitantly with her free hand and ran her fingers through a pool of rose petals. It felt like water, stepping into a gently moving stream. This was tangible comfort. He was looking at her, but her vision was clouded over with a field of roses.

"Oh, oh wow…it feels really nice." She pulled her hand away reluctantly, immediately missing the touch, but he reached up and gently held her hand in place. The sleeve of her baggy sweatshirt slid down, revealing the smallest hint at a bruise on her wrist. Rather than bring attention to it, he kissed the inside of her palm not unlike the kiss from the party. Her tea was going to get cold.

"I'm glad you're safe now." That look he was giving her held so many things she couldn't name, it was almost overwhelming in that moment.

"M-me too…I'm fine now." She managed to look away and finally take a sip of her tea, letting it quench her very dry throat.

They sat for a few minutes drinking tea, Kirishima making sure to keep the conversation away from the events of the past couple of hours.

"You said you're off work tomorrow, right?"

"Hm? Yeah, I am."

"Good, because I don't get up early on Saturdays."

"Does that mean I can sleep in too and be lazy?" She laughed for the first time since he arrived and it made his heart flutter.

"Yeah, you can be lazy. Hopefully the couch isn't too uncomfortable, I've slept on it a few times and it wasn't bad." Kirishima leaned back, seemingly judging the couch for himself like someone deciding whether or not to buy a new car based on the seats.

"You have a bed, right? Why sleep on the couch?"

She shrugged. "Eh, sometimes I've fallen asleep out here drawing or reading a book." Kirishima suddenly got an excited look on his face despite the late hour.

"Oh you've never shown me any of your art before, do you have any here?" Ryuko looked away, keeping her mouth busy sipping the last drops of tea from her mug.

"Oh no, that will wait until tomorrow. I have a bizarre feeling if I showed you stuff now you'd keep me up all night and…" She let out a loud yawn, failing miserably to hide it. "I'm honestly dead tired. It's bed time."

Kirishima took that as the final answer, grabbing both of their mugs and taking them to the kitchen. Ryuko made her way to the bathroom, turning off a couple of lights on the way. There was still light in front of her, so it was fine. Everything was fine.

The bathroom was just big enough for two people to stand at the sink as they brushed their teeth. Kirishima was a vigorous brusher, Ryuko focusing more on each tooth individually with an electric toothbrush. He had toothpaste all over his mouth, she tried to stifle a giggle. If he could make her laugh right now it was a small victory.

Eventually he made his way over to the couch and got comfortable under a very soft blanket, Ryuko leaning over the top and looking down at her guest.

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Mm, I will." He reached up and grabbed her hand, running her smaller fingers through his own. "I'm right here if you need me, OK?" She wondered how someone could be so dedicated to thinking of others, and considered about his own mental stability and self care; but in this moment she was appreciative.

"I know." She leaned down and gave him the gentlest peck on the lips. "Good night, Kirishima."

"You too." And with that, she gradually turned off the lights, walked down the hall, and closed her bedroom door.

In the darkness of the room, Kirishima saw his phone light up under the blanket. Taking it out he noticed a text from Bakugou.

B: "oi, everything ok?"

K: "yeah, she's fine. Im staying the night." There wasn't a reply, but that was just Bakugou. No need for one if he got a satisfactory answer.

His mind was racing with so many different thoughts and emotions as he attempted to sleep in the unfamiliar room. The events at the party, the way she looks when she laughs, how he wanted to cry when he found her shoes, the bloody dress in the trashcan, the way her lips melted against his, the feeling of her fingers in his hair…he willed the good to overshadow the bad as he finally drifted off to sleep.

Ryuko hooked up her phone to the small speaker in her room and opened an app that played nature sounds, turning on one that sounded like thunder and rain in a forest. Sometimes she slept to the silence, but usually when she was stressed or wasn't feeling tired she played the sounds of rain and it calmed her down. This was definitely one of those times it was needed.

Her bed was cold with a single spot of cat-shaped warmth at the foot. She threw off the heavy sweatshirt and put on one of her well-worn band shirts, soft from years of use, the logo faded but still visible. The room was dark and the bruise on her wrist wasn't visible, but she still knew it was there. She crawled in, closing her eyes trying to will away the visions of blood and violence. Curling into a tight ball under the covers, she held onto the worn out rabbit and cried herself to sleep, dried tears seeping into her pillow. Everything was not fine.

Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story please leave a review!


	9. Chapter 9

**NOTE WARNING:** This chapter contains references to abuse and psychological manipulation. This is warning for anyone who might be sensitive or triggered when reading this type of content. There are also some heavier sexual themes and mentions in this chapter, but not enough to up the rating just yet. Just a head's up! Also this chapter is…lewd. Maybe not quite EXPLICIT but i'm marking this NSFW officially. All character are mid 20′s

Light filtered through the blackout curtains in her bedroom illuminating the dust particles in the air. It took a while of tossing and turning before Ryuko finally opened her eyes. Everything felt heavy, her head groggy from tears spilled during the night. She fumbled around on her nightstand for her phone, seeing it was just past 11 on a Saturday. Sitting up in an attempt to rub away the remains of sleep, she remembered that she wasn't alone and felt just a little safer, the tension in her shoulders easing as she stretched. Gingerly stepping down onto the floor, she quietly opened the door and peeked down the hallway. There was the faint sound of snoring coming from the living room.

Ghost stepped around her ankles and made his own way to the new sound, Ryuko deciding to follow.

Somehow Kirishima was just as adorable sleeping as he was awake? He seemed to have made himself comfortable on the couch, the blanket halfway falling onto the floor, a small bit of drool pooling out the corner of his mouth. She reached down and poked him in the cheek gently, waiting to see if that was enough to wake him. Apparently it was.

He turned his head, eyes moving around behind closed eyelids and long lashes. Eventually his ruby eyes fluttered open and attempted to focus on the woman with very terrible bed head standing over him.

"Eh..? Where am I? Oh wait…ok I remember." He opened his mouth in a wide yawn, his oddly sharp teeth making themselves very visible. "Good morning," he said, attempting to hide a laugh. "I like your hair like that."

She reached down into his own hair which was equally messy but still as soft as silk. "You're one to talk." He leaned into the touch.

"Did you sleep ok?" he asked. Her face fell a bit at the question as she remembered the events of the previous night, but she tried to keep her spirits up.

"Mm, could have been better. I don't usually have a lot of dreams or nightmares, but I felt like I moved around more than normal. Was the couch alright?" With the light coming through a slit in the curtains and hitting his sleepy face, he looked like a glowing angel who happened to have bright red hair and the kind of smile other angels were envious of.

"I've slept on worse, it was fine." He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. "11…it doesn't feel that late." He sat up and stretched, Ryuko taking note of the way his muscles moved in his strong shoulders. "Do you…want me to go? I mean I don't have to work but I don't want to intrude longer than you want me to…" He looked at her with eyes that said ' _I don't actually want to go but I'm being polite_.'

She smiled sleepily. "No, no I don't want you to go…we can hang out all day if that's alright with you. We can grab lunch nearby – I don't have a lot here because I'm shit at cooking and there's mostly one person meals anyway – and then go from there. How does that sound?" Hearing he could stay with her seemed to erase the remainders of sleep from his face, replaced by a look of excitement.

"Yeah, I'd like that!" His enthusiasm made her smile.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure."

"How did you get this scar here?" She pointed up to his right eye, a faint vertical scar running from his eyebrow down his eyelid. "I finally got a look at it while you were sleeping – you are adorable when you sleep by the way – but I wanted to ask."

"You think I'm cute when I sleep…?" Kirishima could already feel the heat rising in his face. "But uh, the scar. I've had it since I was little. I did something dumb that adventurous kids like to do and…fell out of a tree. Landing on my face. Does it look bad?" he asked, cringing. He didn't really think about his scar much, but sometimes he felt self conscious about it. But she shook her head.

"No, not at all. It's part of you, so I like it." She leaned over the couch, placing a soft kiss right on his eyebrow. He felt very much awake now.

"But anyway, I'll take a quick shower, you can grab one after me if you want." She was about to walk away, but decided to lean over the couch and pull him into another kiss, this one on the lips. He didn't object and melted against her easily.

"I could get used to this, it's a very nice way to wake up." He smiled with a blush as she walked down the hallway.

"God you're such a flirt even when half asleep…" But she laughed when she said it, so he took it as a compliment as he heard the bathroom door close.

Kirishima got off the couch and folded up the blanket, doing a few stretches while trying to avoid tripping over Ghost who apparently wanted to be his new best friend.

"Aww, you like me that much? Can you tell Ryuko in kitty talk that I like her a lot and also I'm a very good cuddler." Ghost gave a small 'mew' as if in response. He walked down the hall, hearing the water running in the bathroom, but turned to his right to see the open door to her unlit bedroom.

"Mm..I really shouldn't…" But she'd only been gone a few minutes, the water was still going, and his curiosity got the better of him. He silently made his way into her bedroom for a quick look around. Just a peek, that's all.

There was a bookshelf filled with all sorts of different books, some he recognized but most started out with titles like "The Art of…" or "The Paintings Behind…" so he guessed they were art books to movies or games. There were clothes thrown on the floor, but he didn't want to disturb anything too much. Something caught his eye laying on the bed – a very old looking stuffed bunny rabbit. It had a bow around it's neck that was fraying at the ends. The white fabric of the ears, tummy, and bottoms of the feet were dull and graying signaling that it had seen many years of use. Somehow he didn't picture her as the type to like stuffed animals, but it seemed like she was surprising him everyday. Still hearing the water running in the bathroom, he opened up one of the drawers in the nightstand and the immediately regretted it.

He covered his mouth and knelt on the ground, his knees giving out, as he struggled to close the drawer quickly without making any noise. He just happened to open a drawer filled with sex toys.

"Oh my god do not let me pop a boner right now…" His face was nearly the same color as his hair as he turned around and made his way as fast but quietly as possible back out into the living room and covered his face with one of the couch pillows. He was just in time, because he heard the bathroom door open and bare footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hey, I'm done if you want to use the shower."

"OH, ok uh, sure thanks!" Luckily she didn't question why he had a pillow up against his face since she didn't come completely around the hallway corner when she called. Letting out a long sigh and trying to will his mind away from lewd fantasies, he made his way to the bathroom.

It was still steamy, the mirror fogged over and the air warm. There was a towel, wash cloth, and the toothbrush he used last night sitting on the counter. He got his shirt off when there was a knock at the door. Without thinking twice, he opened it.

"There's soap in the…" Her words were cut short as she came face to face with his bare pecs.

She coughed, trying to hide that she was caught off guard by how unreasonably hot he was. "AHEM, in the shower. You can use my shower cap if you don't want to wash your…hair." Was he getting closer?

"Do you like what you see?" He leaned against the door of the bathroom like some chiseled supermodel, completely aware of what he was doing. He winked, sticking his tongue out playfully. This was a dangerous game he was playing, but he was feeling daring all of a sudden. A hand came up and pushed his face back into the bathroom.

"Yes we both know how hot you are but please take a shower because wow I'm very hungry all of a sudden so chop chop!" And with that she closed the door in his face.

"You think I'm hot?!" He called through the door.

"Wh- yeah you're honest to god one of the most attractive people I've ever met?! How is that even a question?" She was about to close her bedroom door when the bathroom door swung open and Kirishima's blushing face popped out.

"Really?" He honestly looked like he didn't believe her, which seemed ridiculous. He knew how attractive he was, right?

"Kirishima, yes. I told you last night that I wouldn't lie to you right? So yeah…I think you're super attractive. Now please take a shower." Her hand came up to cover an embarrassed laugh as she finally closed her door, leaving him to actually do what he was supposed to do.

While he was in the bathroom, she tossed her bathrobe to the floor and picked out some casual clothes. Jeans and an off the shoulder loose black top. She didn't feel comfortable wearing a skirt or dress right now. Brushing her hair and attempting to tame it into something manageable, she looked at the full length mirror in her room.

She wasn't fat by any means, but she wasn't in the best shape of her life either. She regularly attended self-defense classes, as well as went to a local gym several times a week when work hours allowed. She didn't eat terribly, but it could always be better. She had wide hips and strong legs, but upper body strength was lacking working in an office everyday. She sighed, thinking about how muscular and in shape Kirishima was…

"Why does he want me? I'm so…average. He could have anyone looking like that." Normally she felt pretty good about herself, but when she was face-to-face – or rather face-to-chest – with that kind of physique, her confidence started to wane. But she also thought about everything he said to her last night, all the incredibly nice words and sweet gestures to help her feel better. It seemed like some twist of fate that he appeared so perfect…but she knew that everyone had secrets. He probably had some too, they just hadn't come out yet.

She heard the bathroom door open as she sat on her bed finishing up the wing of her eyeliner. "He better have some damn clothes on I swear…" There was a knock at her bedroom door.

"Hey, I'm done. We can head out whenever!" She threw on some mascara and grabbed a wide brim hat out of the closet before heading back out into the hallway.

He was leaning against the couch scrolling on his phone when he looked up. Oh, he hadn't seen her in jeans before. They looked very good.

"Ooh, you look great! Uh, sorry I'm wearing what I wore last night, I didn't bring a change of clothes…"

Ryuko shrugged. "So? You look fine. You could wear a paper sack and make it work. And we're going to lunch, no big deal." His hair was still pulled back in the headband, probably from lack of hair gel in her bathroom. "Ready?"

He nodded, tossing on his running shoes which honestly did not match at all but he didn't really have a choice. They walked out the door, Ryuko locking it behind her and double checking that it was secure. Yesterday was in the past, and now she wasn't alone. She was safe. Kirishima leaned down and gave her a gentle peck on the side of the head. He seemed to have excellent timing to will bad thoughts away.

He held out his hand, that damn smile of his looking at her like she was the best thing in the world waiting for her to take it. She did.

"Lead the way! You know the area better than I do."

"There's a small place nearby that'll work I think." They walked in silence for a few minutes, people watching as crowds shuffled around on a busy Saturday.

"Hm, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"So like…" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, something she'd noticed he did a lot before feeling embarrassed. "Can I…call you my girlfriend? Um, it's ok if you don't want to I was just curious." He was turned away from her when she looked over at him. It was a bold question to ask so soon, but honestly they'd gotten close very quickly. And being honest with yourself and the people around you was manly! So he had to at least ask, right?

"You want me to be your girlfriend…? Like, you wanna make this official?" They were stopped at a crosswalk, his hand suddenly feeling sweaty in hers.

"I mean…yeah, if you want that too. I like you a lot…probably more than I should at this point.." The last part was mumbled mostly under his breath.

"And you're talking monogamous relationship, just us, right?" The question made him actually look at her this time.

"Yeah? I'm not polyamorous or into swinging or anything like that. Just me and you…if that's OK." The light turned green at the crosswalk, prompting them to continue towards a lunch destination, Ryuko slightly in front leading the way. She suddenly shifted their hands so their fingers were now entwined.

"Yeah, OK. We're dating. We're dating! You, Kirishima, are my boyfriend. Oh, I like saying that…" Kirishima gave a laugh filled with happiness that honestly sounded like music to her. The fact that he asked to move their relationship in a forward direction pretty much erased the doubts that started creeping in earlier. He brought their hands up and kissed hers, fingers still intertwined. This was a gesture she could easily get used to.

"I feel so lucky right now…but also kind of hungry. Are we close by to wherever you're taking us?" Simultaneously thinking about food and a new relationship status. Top-tier priorities of course.

They eventually made their way into a small shop and dug into the food hungrily. Kirishima ordered something with plenty of meat, another detail that Ryuko took note of. It seemed like the events of the previous night were mostly forgotten in favor of brand new, happier memories. But something was still weighing on her mind.

She stopped eating, fingers fidgeting instead with her chopsticks as she avoided eye contact. "Um…ok so, you know how I mentioned last night…how I didn't call the police for a very specific reason?" Kirishima stopped eating to see the serious look on her face and opted to pay attention to what was about to be said.

"Uh…I'll tell you. Not here, we can either go back to the apartment or there's a small park nearby that's kind of nice. But, if we're moving this forward then I'm laying everything on the table, no secrets, OK?"

He reached over and took her hand in his, playing with her fingers. She wore a wide bracelet to cover the bruise on her wrist.

"Alright. Like I said you don't have to, but if you want to then I'm here to listen. We can go to the park, yeah? That sounds nice!" She nodded with a small smile. When they finished eating she led them a few more blocks over to a park with some benches, trees, plots of flowers, etc. They sat down on a bench covered in the shade of a large tree, away from the crowds of boisterous families and nosey parents. She took a deep breath, Kirishima solid beside her.

"Ok so, this will probably be me talking a lot and I have a feeling if I stop I won't be able to keep going so just…let me talk until I'm done." He squeezed her hand to show he was listening.

"About five years ago, when I was still in college, I was in an abusive relationship. He was really fucking awful, I hated him then and I still hate him now. You never think something like that will end up happening to you until it does and you realize it too late. He was really manipulative and made me question my own self worth, things I'd known to be true my whole life without me even realizing it. I learned about those types of things later, that he was really fucking smart with everything he was doing, he had a plan. He started threatening me after a while, I didn't know what he'd do if I tried to leave. One time I was so scared I slept in the bathtub and locked the bathroom door to keep him out. That was the first time he…hit me, and then I knew I had to get out I had to get away." She was breathing very hard now, her heart beating out of her chest. Her hands were shaking and felt clammy. But Kirishima's grip was solid and physical, telling her she was still safe.

"This…this is why I fought so hard last night. I poured all my anger and hatred towards him – towards people that want to take advantage of others – into hurting him as much as I could, enough to make him let me go so I could get away. I figured that if I put up enough of a fight, he might let me go." Her eyes were distant, not noticing she was gripping his hands so hard her knuckles were turning white. He gently nudged her out of her daze, gesturing for her to keep going despite the pained look on his face.

"Um…one day while he was at work I packed everything I had into a friend's car and I left, I didn't look back. He tried to find me, but he didn't. I had good friends and they let me stay with them rather than getting an apartment with my name on it and it possibly flagging the system…which leads me to why I didn't call the police." She was biting the inside of her cheek, grinding like the remnant of a fatty steak. The familiar taste of iron would hit her tongue if she didn't stop.

"He's a police officer. Some of his coworkers stood up for him when they knew what was going on. They have this…system that protects their own, they'll cover for each other at the expense of someone else. He had resources to ruin my life if he found me." Tears were streaking down her cheeks now, she was so tired of crying but she kept going. "That's why I didn't call. As far as I know, he's still an officer. I knew that if my name came up, he would be the one to show up at my door. And then I wouldn't know what to do…" She was suddenly surrounded by strong arms. They wrapped around her shoulders and enveloped her. She let out a shaking breath as her hands came up to clutch at the back of Kirishima's shirt like a harness keeping her from falling from a cliff she couldn't see.

"I'm so sorry you went through that. I'm sorry…" She closed her eyes and buried her head in the crook of his neck. Her voice was muffled. He smelled like her body wash and comfort.

"It's OK, I promise. It was a long time ago. The past doesn't scare me anymore. I just…needed to tell you. So you know where I'm coming from." They remained like this for several minutes before he started to pull away. He was trying to keep from crying, but his eyes stung from air hitting the prickling on his eyelashes. Grabbing her hands in his he kept his eyes down, focusing on rubbing rhythmic circles into her skin.

"I'm…thank you for telling me. For trusting me with all that. The last thing I want is to see you hurt. And I'm here, and I'll help in whatever way I can if you want me to." She smiled and it reached her eyes hearing his kind words.

"How the hell did I wind up finding like, literally the best guy ever? I'm really glad I hate the office coffee." After all that she managed to laugh at her own joke. Maybe it was her way of adopting something of his, Kirishima's natural ability to brighten the moods of people around him. "You know, you're the first guy I've dated since then." Kirishima blushed and his thumb stopped moving across hers.

"Wait…you haven't been with anyone else in almost five years?!"

She shook her head indicating he'd gotten the wrong impression from her words. "That's not what I said. I said you're the first GUY I've dated. Maybe I never mentioned it…I'm Bi, I've dated men and women. Gender doesn't really matter to me, it's the person that counts. Is that a problem?" His face still slightly pink, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, no that doesn't matter at all to me. I've uh dated guys and girls too, so we're sort of on the same page there." She smiled at this, knowing that her past relationships wouldn't affect how he judged her as a person.

"So um…now that my bullshit and drama is out of the way, you still want to call me your girlfriend? I feel like the past two days have been…unfair to you I guess. You've been dealing with my problems."

"What? Of course I do," Kirishima said, looking up from her hands finally. "Like you said, your past doesn't define who you are now. And none of what happened was your fault. You can't scare me away, OK?" He made some cheesey overly dramatic wink that made her eyes light up.

"Mm, alright. In that case…there's something else I want to ask."

There was a slight breeze in the park, rustling the leaves in the large tree above them, causing the sunrays and cast shadows to dance in their laps.

"Do you have any secrets? Like, I'm not asking you to tell me your deepest darkest insecurity or anything like that. Just…I feel like I've told you a lot. Do you have anything you think I should know?" It was a hard question to ask, pressing someone else for personal information. But it was only fair, right? She'd opened up and laid vulnerability in his hands about her past experiences, and he accepted them. She needed to know if there was something that might affect their relationship at any point down the line.

Kirishima swallowed, eyes darting around trying to think of anything he thought she should know. He didn't really have any secrets, he wore his heart and emotions on his sleeve. But there was one…

"Oh…um yeah. There is something that I think would be fair if you knew about. It's…OK I know it's going to be kind of weird but just hear me out first." He wore a skeptical look on his face that didn't suit his features.

"Sure, of course." His shoulders felt unnaturally tense.

"Um, ok so you know Bakugou, my roommate? Who you've met?"

"Yeah..?"

"We uh…there was a thing between us. In college. It didn't last long and it wasn't anything close to a healthy relationship, which was why I ended it…along with a whole list of other reasons. But yeah, that was a thing that happened over two years ago." He had a guilty look on his face as he chanced a look at his new partner. Her face was hard to read, but he could tell she was confused.

"So, hold on…the guy who works with you. And who you live with right now. You two were a thing? Just so I'm understanding." Kirishima chewed on his bottom lip, obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

"Yeah…that sums it up." She didn't speak for a minute, mind processing what he just told her and trying to figure out a reasonable response.

"Ok…you know that's kind of weird, right? Like, after a fling you usually don't end up living with that person later…"

"Yeah I'm pretty aware it's weird, but I don't really think about it? Which might be the weirdest part I don't know. After college we went our separate ways and moved on. But he contacted me about six months ago, saying he had fallen on a rough patch and needed somewhere to stay. You've met him, he's not the most friendly guy around, he probably didn't have that many people to turn to…so he's been staying with me while he gets back on his feet. Honestly I'm trying to move up too but that's a different conversation…" He inhaled deeply and let it all out at once, having confessed to the one thing that might affect anything from here on out between them.

"I mean…do you still have romantic feelings for him? And I'm telling you right now to be honest." She held his hands firmly as he looked her straight in the eyes. His eyes, red like rose petals, did not shift like the leaves dancing in the tree above. They were sturdy and unwavering.

"No, I don't."

"Does he still have feelings for you?"

That was a question he wasn't expecting, and honestly one he couldn't answer if he truly thought about it. Bakugou was a complicated person who rarely let people in on what he was thinking or feeling at any given moment. They had a very brief conversation about it before Bakugou moved in, but it never really went past 'this happened and that's that, don't talk about it.'

"I mean, if he does then he hasn't shown it at all. He hasn't made any attempt at getting together or made any moves." The look on her face told him she wasn't sure if she believed him, and that kind of stung.

"It's not that I think you're lying, because I don't. I think you're telling me the truth to the best of your knowledge, but…"she trailed off, remembering something from a few days ago. "Oh fucking hell, the grocery store. It makes so much sense now!"

Kirishima had a questioning look on his face, not quite understanding the connection. "What? Grocery store…?"

"Did Bakugou mention running into me a few days ago at the same grocery store?" Kirishima shook his head, not liking where this was going.

"Well he did. And at the time I just thought he didn't like me because he was being an ass, no offense. But now? Kirishima I think he's jealous. You know him better than I do obviously but-."

Kirishima took his hands away from hers, his eyes closed trying process what she just told him.

"Wait hold on. What did he say at the store that made you think he's jealous?!" He tried to keep his voice level but it was difficult considering the accusation she just voiced.

"He threatened me for ONE, he said he'd kill me if I ever hurt you. But my life has been threatened before so I just brushed it off as empty words. I thought he was being protective of you, his _friend_. I mean I sort of butted into your life out of nowhere, and he's known you a long time right? I don't blame him for not trusting me immediately with his friend. But like…this puts a new spin on the context."

Kirishima actually stood up from the bench, scowl on his face that was honestly scary to look at while he paced back and forth, a hand running through his hair in frustration. The calm air of the park was broken, replaced by a more antagonistic energy subverting it.

"He threatened you?! I can't believe this…Bakugou what the hell are you doing?" He mostly said the last part to himself as he attempted to rationalize his friend's behavior. Sure, threats weren't really anything new for Bakugou but he'd gotten a lot better about it since high school after realizing he couldn't run angrily at every problem in his way. He'd been acting odd the past week if Kirishima was being honest, but every once in a while he went through a phase of worse-than-normal moods so it felt almost routine at this point. Was this something different though? Running his hands down his face he shook his head, feeling tired all of a sudden at all the unanswered questions in his head. He looked over at Ryuko, sitting below him on the bench. Her expression was more sad than angry.

"Sorry for kind of spilling all that out there. I appreciate you telling me all this, but I think this is something you need to talk with him about, honestly. BUT UNTIL THEN-" She got up she stood in front of Kirishima, placing both hands on his broad shoulders. Now she could be his rock. "We have the rest of the day together. And you need to know that I trust you. And I don't really trust a lot of people…Kirishima I can tell you're a good person with good intentions. And that's why I like you. That's why I asked you to stay with me this morning." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, bringing him out of his daze. He blinked, anger starting to fade as he remembered where he was and who he was with. He would deal with Bakugou later because she was right, this day was for them.

Eventually they made their way back to the apartment while it was still early in the afternoon. Kirishima would need to head home that night since he had to work the next day, but there was still plenty of time to spend together before then.

He eventually bugged her enough that she dragged out some of her sketchbooks and showed him her Instagram account where she posted most of her personal artwork. She didn't have a problem putting her stuff up for total strangers, so why did this suddenly feel like something more intimate?

"Ryuko you're so good at…art! God I sound like a moron, I don't know anything about drawing or painting."

"Hey, I've honestly been doing this my whole life, it's one of the few things I feel I'm pretty good at. And if you want I can always give you drawing lessons if you wanted to learn."

"I can't even draw a stick figure…"

When he finally stopped fake crying about his nonexistent art ability, they settled into the couch to watch some cooking show with crazy challenges and unrealistic expectations. She was settled between Kirishima's legs, his back against the armrest, one arm wrapped around her stomach to keep her close as the laptop balanced in her lap. Eventually he got a mischievous idea.

"Are you ticklish?"

"Hmm? Am I what?" She was trying to focus on someone attempting to make a cake out of hamburger ingredients.

"Nothing…" His free hand came up to brush against the bare skin of her neck, right below the ear. Her shoulder twitched in response.

"What are you doing?"

"Hm? Just testing something." She turned away from the screen to look at him over her shoulder.

"Testing?..Te-" Suddenly his hands were at her sides, fingers moving rapidly across her shirt. He was concentrating on making her laugh while she covered her mouth and tried to keep the laptop from falling to the ground. He was bigger, stronger, and was unfortunately winning. Her snort made him laugh and lose concentration for just a second, giving her the opportunity to slam the computer shut, place it on the floor, and turn around fully to face him. He held his hands up like an innocent puppy caught sneaking treats in the kitchen.

"Uhm…I couldn't help it. Sorry." But he was stopped short as she was slowly crawling on top of him, pushing him down into the couch, hovering over him like a lioness ready to attack her prey. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and ears, not expecting this turn of events.

"Oh? How sorry are you, hm?" Her face was so close to his, eyes heavily lidded, breath hot against his throat. The heat in his face was starting to move south as she shifted to straddle him with the little room they had on the couch. She bent down lower, hands on either side of his chest – his hands were still out to the side like he was truly submitting to her – and licked his neck from collar bone to earlobe. He swallowed hard, her tongue moving against the muscles of his throat. Everything was warm, biting his tongue to keep from making any lewd noises.

"There…now I did I said I wanted to do. I've licked you." She let out a breathy giggle as she raised up to look at his face, suddenly very aware of their position.

"Um…can I just say that was really hot? Like, just file that away in things I like…" Their eyes met, something unspoken between them lighting a spark that was about to blow.

His hands went to her hair as their lips collided in a mix of saliva and teeth. It didn't take long to acclimate to a pace, cheeks rubbing against cheeks, breaths muttered between the gaps of chapped lips rubbing against a stray tongue. They couldn't get enough air, like being sucked into a vacuum filled with soft moans and moist friction. One hand moved from her hair to the small of her back, pulling her closer. He smelled like her soap mixed with woodsy musk and sweat. The tension and frustrations were poured into each other, her hands kneading the muscles of his chest. She pulled his lip between her teeth, he captured her mouth with his tongue and let go with a sudden pop from the lack of suction. She tasted like desire.

She pulled away, looking down at the flushed man under her. His hair was a mess, his lips red and shiny as he chewed on his lower lip, smoldering eyes saying ' _please don't go_.' It was a look he was giving more frequently, and she felt the need to oblige. She swallowed hard, her mind racing.

"You're…a really good kisser." She chuckled softly trying to catch her breath. His hand was still on her back, the other one cupping her cheek.

"I give as good as I get…" His eyes widened a bit at the double entendre in his words. "Um, I didn't mean like…I mean I DO but…you're really sexy do you know that?" he managed to stutter out.

"Am I…?" She tilted her head just enough to lick at his thumb positioned close to her mouth. It was salty and made her throat salivate. Her mouth enveloped his finger, tongue swirling around it like a desperate popsicle on a hot day. Her eyes gauged his reaction as his breath stopped his throat, head leaning back into the couch cushion. She could feel his hips moving gently beneath her, his other hand kneading at her shirt.

"Holy shit…" His body shuddered as she gave all of her attention to this finger, focusing on showing him what she could do with her mouth and tongue. After a minute she slowly pulled away, a string of saliva trailing from her lips to the tip of his thumb. He shook his head, trying not to lose his mind as she licked her lips.

"Tell me…how far you want to go."

His words brought her back to reality, sudden realization hitting her throat like a noose. Everything felt too warm, her fingers clinging to his shirt damp with sweat.

"Um…I don't…" She looked guilty and embarrassed, her expression bringing Kirishima out of his lust filled haze.

"Hey, it's fine there's no pressure. We don't have to do anything you don't want. There's no rush. What's wrong..?" Her hand was shaking now, face tilted down so he couldn't see.

"Uh…sorry. I want…this. I want this closeness, with you." She took a shuddering breath. "But…being physically vulnerable with someone is hard. For me. Putting myself out there in…that way." She finally looked up, seeing his concerned features form into a furrowed brow. He was so expressive it was almost overwhelming.

"I will never ever do anything you don't want me to do. I give you my word as a man, as a person who respects you. Tell me to stop, and I'll stop." His expression was one of determination; she could tell he was being completely serious. She nodded, understanding that his word was a promise. "…Besides I don't have any condoms…" he chuckled trying to lighten the mood. Her mouth agape she laughed along with him at the sudden change in subject.

"I uh, almost bought some the other day but decided against it at the last minute. God, a lot's happened in the past few days everything's moving so quickly…not that it's necessarily a bad thing." She leaned down and gave him a chaste peck on the lips. Even that small gesture made his heart flutter.

"No worries. Like I said there's no rush. But uh…" Pink dusted the tops of his cheeks and ears as he looked away. "Do you mind if I take a cold shower real quick…?"

"Um, OH! Shit, sorry. Sure go ahead." She awkwardly removed herself from the couch, but leaned down and whispered into his ear "I'll make it up to you later." She made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water, suddenly feeling very thirsty. He sighed heavily, simultaneously missing the weight of her on top of him but also feeling the need to take care of the ache in his pants. Before he could get up however, Ghost decided this was the perfect time to make his warm lap a comfortable new bed. Ryuko heard a grunt from the couch.

"Whats wrong?" Peeking her head out she saw her new boyfriend trying unsuccessfully to remove her cat from his lap. Ghost was determined on staying put, making biscuits into his bulging zipper.

"No no no, please move I'll pet you later I swear now is not a good time." The distinct sound of bagged treats shaking around got Ghost to finally hop off, earning another grunt from the man on the couch.

"Ghost do not paw at his balls that's very fucking rude, jeez…" Under her breath she muttered "That's my job…"

While she was keeping the cat busy with treats, Kirishima finally hobbled off the couch and hurried to the bathroom, turning on an ice cold shower. His mind was racing as he stripped off his clothes and stepped in, biting his tongue as the water made him shiver. He hadn't been physical with anyone in over a year, so this sudden stimulation was almost overbearing. Despite trying to tamp down the uncomfortable sensation between his legs, his mind wandered to their compromising position on the couch, his fingers in her mouth, the way she looked at him, hungry with desire. But he shook his head, willing the thoughts away.

"No, no no…just let me make it home with some dignity."

While Kirishima was in the shower, Ryuko wandered into her bedroom to open the drawer that she had no idea he wandered into earlier in the day. There was a bright blue vibrator, one fairly average looking dildo with a suction cup on the end, a bottle of half empty lube, and an o-ring harness buried at the back of the drawer. Something was getting used later when he left, that was for sure.

Ever since her abusive relationship back in college she was hesitant of relationships with men, considering most of them the same types of jerks who just wanted women for sex, or someone to boss around under the guise of a relationship. It was only after her more recent relationship ended that she started to move forward with her life and tried not to consider all guys as potential threats. As much as she liked Kirishima and wanted things to move forward, she just needed some time to mentally consider the fact that he wouldn't force her into anything. He was taller and stronger than her, but his size honestly had no bearing on his personality or kind gestures towards her. It would just take time, and luckily he was patient.

She heard the bathroom door open behind her and quickly closed the open drawer. He looked refreshed, like he was able to think clearly.

"Ok that's better – oh! Hey, didn't see you. Even though my clothes are dirty I've had two showers today so that's kinda weird. What're you doing?" Kirishima assumed that because she was already in her room, that it was actually OK this time to walk in.

"Hmm, nothing. Just thinking." She sat down on the bed, gesturing for him to sit down next to her.

"There's been a lot to think about recently…" He nudged her shoulder and gave her a soft smile, sinking into the creaky mattress. His eyes went behind her to notice the stuffed rabbit he found this morning. Maybe he could ask her about it now. "Hmm, whose this?" He picked it up to hold it in his lap.

"Oh, uh…I've had this for…probably twenty years at this point. It's super old. But I keep it around, maybe it's a comfort thing…" She took the rabbit from him and held it gently. "I held onto it last night. Which probably sounds weird for a 26 year old woman to have a stuffed animal but-"

Kirishima's hands came up and held both of her cheeks between his palms, turning her to face him. "I think it's cute! You're all badass and shit and could probably kick my ass if you were mad enough about something. But you also have this other side that I can tell just wants hugs. Which is good for you, because I'm an expert cuddler." He stuck his tongue out playfully, making her laugh. She loved that he could make her laugh so easily and feel carefree despite all that's happened.

"But uh…I should probably go soon. I have to open up tomorrow, no more sleeping in…" He tried not to look sad as he let his hands drop down to the side.

"Thanks for staying with me today and helping me out. Really, you don't know how much I appreciate it." She leaned over kissed him on the cheek. "Are you going to look like that every time I kiss you?" His face looked like someone had given him an entire plate of brownies.

"Of course! I'm really happy, so why would I want to hide it?"

They sat together for a while before Kirishima gathered up his things and headed towards the door so he could catch the next train. He turned around and stood in the doorway, already feeling his heart sink at the idea of leaving after spending nearly two straight days with her.

"Call me when you get back, or at least text me that you got there."

"I will."

"Be safe."

"I will."

"I'll miss you." His expression deepened as he pulled her into a crushing hug. She clung to the back of his shirt and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Me too." He let go and pulled her into a chaste kiss, hoping that she felt all the emotions he was pouring into it. "I gotta go." Finally stepping away, she waved goodbye as he walked away, watching him head to the train station. Closing the door and locking it securely, she felt an overwhelming sense of suffocating loneliness, despite the fact that she lived alone and was used to the silence.

Kirishima eventually passed by the spot where he found her discarded shoes the night before. He cringed, thinking how so much has happened in less than 24 hours. The area was bare, no sign left of what he assumed only he, Ryuko, and her attacker knew about. He continued walking, focusing instead on moving forward.

Eventually he made his way home. It was almost dark at this point, the very tail end of the sunset ghosting over the buildings on the horizon. Unlocking the door and walking in he took off his shoes and looked around. Compared to her apartment theirs seemed boring in comparison. There was a TV in the living room with a small media center with video game consoles and various movies. There weren't any pictures on the walls, just unmatching pieces of furniture that they'd cobbled together from sales and thrifty shopping.

"Bakugou, I'm back!" He called out. He still needed time to think about how to handle this situation, so he'd act like everything was normal until he came up with a plan to try and avoid a fight or shouting match. There was no reply.

"Why didn't he just text me..? Oh." Taking his phone out of his pocket, he noticed the battery was dead. He hadn't charged it since the previous day. Going into his room and plugging it up, he laid down on his bed and rubbed his eyes. After a minute his phone turned back on where there were a couple of missed calls and a text notification.

B: "going out. Be back late."

Realizing that he was alone, he got up and locked his bedroom door.

"Ok, now to actually take care of this…" Stripping off his pants he laid back down his bed, he opened up his own bedside drawer and took out a bottle of lube.

Despite the cold shower, he was still very much feeling the stimulation of earlier activities. Even though he didn't actually want to leave, he was glad to make it back home where he was alone to ease the tension in his boxers.

He started off slow, closing his eyes and imagining her back on top, staring down with lust filled eyes and a dripping wet mouth

" _Kirishima, I want you so bad…"_

"Oh fuck…" He bit his lip, imagining her hands and mouth all over him. His hand worked his aching member, thinking of her tongue sucking it the way she sucked his finger. So wet and warm…

He nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone rang, covering his mouth like someone had walked in. He debated letting it to go voicemail, but saw that it was Ryuko and inwardly cursed. He didn't want her to wonder if he was alright or didn't make it home, not after recent events. So he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on keeping his voice steady as he answered the phone.

"Uh, hello?"

"Hey, sorry. Wasn't sure sure you'd be back by now, but its starting to get dark out so I figured I'd call…why are you breathing so hard?" He covered his mouth, cheeks ruddy with embarrassment.

"Breathing, I'm not breathing hard! I'm totally normal and fine I'm uh, totally fine…" He was twitching, and hearing her voice was not making it any easier to avoid touching himself.

"Kirishima…you're a bad liar. Are you…oh my god you are!"

"Are what?!" he

"You horny little shit." She was laughing on the other end and he groaned into the phone. Busted.

"Uh…bad timing?"

There was a pregnant pause on the other end of the line before she spoke again, like she was considering her options. "No…I think its perfect timing." Her voice became low and throaty. "I can pay you back now for earlier, if you want…" His eyes widened and mouth went dry at the sudden shift and implication.

"O-oh…uh…you mean-"

"Kirishima…I want you." With that confirmation he submitted. He laid back down on the bed making himself comfortable. One hand held the phone to his ear, the other retreated back under his boxers. This was actually happening. She'd instigated it so it wasn't weird, right?

"Are you touching yourself? Does it feel good?" she asked, breathy and suggestive

"Mmhm…yes, it feels so good." He was moaning softly into the phone now, unable to keep quiet when his fantasy had a voice over.

"Mm…imagine my mouth around you. Taking you all in…you taste so good…"

He could barely form words at this point, feeling his shirt cling to his chest and back. He imagined her down between his legs, lapping at his dripping shaft. Swallowing hard he listened to her breathing on the other end.

"Are you…are you touching yourself, too? Fuck, please say yes…"

"I…finished not long after you left, honestly." She sounded kind of guilty but it didn't bother him at all, knowing that she needed to get off as badly as he did.

"Can you…tell me what you did? You don't have to if you don't want…but oh my god that's really hot." There was a pause on the other end like she was debating giving in to his request.

"Y-yeah…I uh, I have this…blue vibrator." His mind immediately flashed to the short lived vision when he opened the secret drawer in her bedroom. "It feels so good on me…Kirishima I was so wet…fuck…goddammit." He heard shuffling around on the other end and then a small button click.

"I'm…dammit. Ok…fuck, mmmhm…" She was breathing heavily on the other end and Kirishima knew exactly what was happening and it almost made him pause with dawning realization. Almost.

"Oh god I've never done this before but wow I see why people do it…holy shit…I'm so close…I want to please you so bad…"

"Kirishima…" She sounded so _wanting_ on the other end and it was driving him mad, his name dripping from her panting lips. "I bet you feel…so good inside me…" He was covering his mouth to keep from yelling out, trying to keep the phone balanced between his shoulder and mouth while it was still charging on the short cord. "Oh fuck, I'm…" She was close too, he could hear it, he could feel the similarly growing heat in between his legs.

"C-come for me…please I want to hear you come." It was quiet for a second, two, three…before he heard a throaty loud moan on the other end, a string of curses following with haggard raspy breath. It undid him. He covered his mouth and came onto his stomach, legs shaking from the intensity. He twitched as he rode out the orgasm, taking a minute to catch his breath.

They didn't say anything for a minute as they both came down from the throws of pleasure. He wiped the cum from his stomach with his shirt, knowing he'd have to wash it anyway. Eventually he heard giggles on the other end of the phone.

"Oh god…we just had phone sex."

"Ha, uh yeah I guess we did! Um, is that ok…? I know you said earlier to take things slow-"

"I mean I'm the one who was all 'yo I know you're jackin' it let me help you out' so no, no regrets. It was…uh ha it was fun not gonna lie." The phrase 'jackin' it" made Kirishima burst out laughing. Even though they just shared something pretty intimate, they could still make jokes. He appreciated it. "But I'm going to ask, why the hell did you answer the phone when you were uuuuuh busy?"

"In hindsight it was a bad idea that turned into a good idea. I didn't want you to worry if I didn't answer right away."

"Such a considerate boyfriend you are. Also, before you jump the gun I'm just putting this out there: no dick pics. Actually, do not send me pictures of anything I haven't already seen in person yet. Let me be amazed and astounded at your glorious physique with my own eyes, first." Kirishima shook his head laughing, enjoying the tonal shift of the conversation.

"I wasn't planning on sending any dick pics, so no worries there. Like I said, I won't do anything unless you tell me it's OK first. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Mm, probably not. I need to catch up on some personal work and if you're anywhere nearby I'll be heavily distracted. So probably not until Monday." Kirishima had an adorable pout on his face at the answer. He wasn't clingy, but he was the type of person who just really enjoyed spending time with his partners.

"Well I need to take my THIRD shower of the day so I'll let you go."

"Same. The shower part, not the third part. Text me later."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Kirishima felt really good about this. So far things were going well, even if there were some hiccups and personal things to work through. It was still early to call, but he hoped things continued like this.

He tossed his clothes along with some other things lying around into a dirty clothes hamper to wash later. Turning on the water he stopped and looked at himself in the mirror.

"Hmm…she saw me shirtless this morning. So that's not cheating, right?" Even though he sometimes had issues with low self-esteem, it rarely had anything to do with his looks. He was pretty proud of his body and didn't mind showing it off under the right circumstances. He took a goofy but still slightly sexy selfie, the picture cutting off at his waist, and was about to hit send when he hesitated. A thought struck him out of nowhere that made his brows furrow, and he decided to delete the picture instead and make an impulsive call.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Sorry for calling again."

"It's OK, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just need to tell you something." He sat down on the cold tile of the bathroom, the steam of the hot shower fogging up any mirrored surfaces preventing him from seeing his own expression.

"Um, OK sure. What's on your mind?"

"I like you. Like, more than I probably should at this point but I don't really care. I just realized that…that I don't want you to get the impression that I'm after something, or that I want to just hook up and leave. That's not what I want. Yeah, things today went…very quickly. And you opened up about your own vulnerability, so I'm doing the same." He paused to take a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I want something long-term, I want…someone that cares about me, as a person. And I really like where this is going, and I don't want to screw it up. So I'm just putting it out there that I'm not just trying to get in your pants, or get anything out of this besides…um…a relationship." As he talked he didn't realize he curled his knees up into his chest like a ball, protecting anything inside him that might be fragile. He let out a shaky sigh as he waited with bated breath for whatever she might say in response. It was quiet for a minute.

"Kirishima…I don't know what to say to all that." At first he cringed, thinking that what he wanted wasn't what she wanted. That HE wasn't what she wanted. But she continued. "The past two days have been very intense in the best and worst of ways. You know what happened today? An amazing wonderful guy stayed with me all day and night because I didn't want to be alone. And he listened when I…when I told him about all the shit that happened years ago that might affect me now. But he stayed anyway. And he made me laugh despite everything that happened. And he made me happy. And he made me feel wanted, and I'd honestly be a total idiot if I let him think for a second that he isn't what I wanted back." Tears were prickling at the edges of his eyes at her words. It felt like years since someone made him feel worth it. Worth fighting to keep.

"Kirishima-"

"Eijiro"

"What?"

"You can…call me Eijiro. If you want."

"Ok…Eijiro." It felt good on her lips. It felt right. "Thank you, for telling me all that. It's hard to put yourself out there. I want a relationship, too. Something built on trust and honesty and respect, which is why I've been so open. If there was anything you didn't like…"

"There's nothing about you I don't like." Kirishima blushed at his own confession, but he kept going. "Bad things sometimes happen to good people, and that doesn't make those people bad." He heard a sniffle on the other end of the line. "Oh, oh shit no please don't cry.."

"This is happy crying you dork," she said, laughing into the phone. "You're such a sap, don't ever change OK?"

 _Don't ever change…he could handle that._


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning Kirishima woke up to his alarm in his own bed. Time to get back into a – hopefully – normal routine. No more trauma, no more hurt, no more painful memories. It was a new day to start the rest of the week, and he was determined to make it a good one.

The work day passed by slowly, Kirishima's mind wandering to events of the past few days. He had opened up about things that made him self-conscious, feelings of self-doubt that sometimes kept him from pushing ahead, making him feel left behind. Ryuko thought he was smart and strong and brave and…helpful. He felt needed.

"Oi, shitty-hair pay attention." Bakugou's sharp voice snapped him out of a daze, realizing that he had customers waiting in line. As he took care of their orders, he was distracted by his blonde coworker. Bakugou had been uncharacteristically quiet today despite it being nearly two days since he'd seen him. Kirishima still needed to figure out how to broach the touchy subject that was brought up at the park, but he had an idea that might give him better insight into addressing the situation.

Once he was home from work he decided to call someone he hadn't talked to in a while; hopefully this wouldn't be too awkward of a conversation. The ringing on the other end stopped as someone picked up.

"Um, hello?"

"Midoriya? Hey, it's Kirishima! Sorry for calling out of the blue."

An airy chuckle erupted from the receiver. "Kirishima-kun! How are you? It's been a while, hasn't it?" Midoriya sounded almost exactly the same as he did in highschool.

"I'm fine, thanks. This is going to sound weird so I apologize in advice for calling out of the blue like this. But I need some advice and didn't know who else to turn to."

"Sure, I'll do whatever I can to help out."

"Well, it's about Bakugou…"

With that, Kirishima started summarizing the heavy weights on his mind concerning his roommate and his new partner. Midoriya had known Bakugou back in middle school, but there was always an animosity between them that the red-head never really knew the origin of. Midoriya might be able to give insight into Bakugou's thoughts or actions that could help with this specific situation, just something to give Kirishima an edge on how to approach things.

Midoriya sighed on the other end. "Wow…Kirishima-kun, that's a lot for one person to carry on their mind. Hmm…this is a difficult one. Kacchan has always been a strong and resolute person, but he's also very complicated. When he sees someone whose better than him at something, he tends to use his anger to push himself through it to try and come out on top…but he can't win every battle like that."

"Yeah, I know. I just…Bakugou is one of my best friends, we've known each other a long time. I figured what happened in the past between us was just that – in the past, and we could move forward. I don't want to say or do anything to jeopardize that." Kirishima truly hated even considering the fact that something like this could potentially end their friendship if it proved to be true. Whenever Bakugou needed help with something, he was there. And if Kirishima needed a hand, Bakugou - though sometimes reluctantly - would step up to the plate.

"Kacchan…he tends to hold grudges. He will let them fester into something very mean if it's not resolved at some point. I don't know your girlfriend, or judge her character at all. But I feel like you wouldn't be calling me about this if you didn't care about both of them."

And he did – he DID care about both of them. He didn't want to lose his roommate's friendship, but he also didn't want to lose this new budding relationship he was forming…and most of all, he didn't want one to come between the other.

"I think no matter what, Kacchan will be angry unfortunately. He'll lash out when you accuse him of something, especially if it has to do with possible feelings that he's been actively trying to ignore. He's always been like that, and I think it's just…part of who he is to some extent. He's been living with you for a while, and if it's true – that he's hiding feelings – then he's been alone in his suffering. And you dating someone new is just making it worse…" Kirishima groaned into the phone, hating that this was going to probably turn into a fight once he got up the courage to bring it up. But he couldn't put up with Bakugou being rude or threatening to his girlfriend – she didn't deserve that.

"I'm sorry Kirishima-kun that I can't be of more help…Kacchan and I haven't really kept in contact, we went our separate ways which I think was for the best."

Kirishima shook his head, a hand running through his hair to process everything. "No, this has been really helpful. Thanks, Midoriya. We should catch up sometime, are you and Todoroki still…?" A nervous chuckle lit up the other end of the line.

"Y-yes…we're still together. And uh, yeah sure! I'd like to meet…Ryuko, right? If she makes you happy Kirishima-kun then I'm sure she's great. We could have a double date!"

"Haha, I'll see if she'd be down for that at some point. But, thanks for the advice. I'll figure out what to do." And with that, they hung up.

Kirishima laid down on his bed, body and mind feeling heavy. Bakugou was a very defensive person when it came to his feelings. Kirishima guessed years ago he might have a superiority complex, especially when it came to Midoriya. He covered up feelings of inadequacy by putting others down and placing himself on top. Had he really been projecting his jealousy whenever someone came into Kirishima's life…? The buzz of his phone brought him out of his mental spiral.

R: "whatchu up to? How was work?" A text from her seemed to always cheer him up.

K: "fairly boring and average, nothing exciting. I'm home now. Got some advice from someone whose known Bakugou a lot longer than I have, but still figuring out the details on how to actually start that convo"

R: "well whatever happens know I have your back"

K: "ya, I know 3 what did u do today on your magical day off?" He envied that she had weekends free. A consistent work schedule was something that sounded very appealing.

R: "went to the gym this morning, now i'm at home working on some freelance stuff for a client. But it's time for me to take a break I think i've been working for…oops 5 straight hours"

K: "yes, definitely time for a break! I bet u look cute in gym clothes :o"

After a minute without a reply, he got a picture attachment. She was standing in front of what looked like a long gym mirror, various equipment in the background. Standing in a mock body builder pose and flexing her muscles. She wore a t-shirt and shorts, nothing fancy – but he still thought she looked good.

K: "I WAS RIGHT"

R: "it's basically pajamas!"

K: "and? You're cute, so whatever you wear is just cute by default"

R: "mmmmm ya ok" Kirishima wondered if she didn't like the way she looked. Maybe she had self-confidence issues that were opposite of his own…? A lot of things seemed to bubble to the surface recently with everything they talked about, maybe this had been dredged up from the bottom as well. Well it was his job as her manly boyfriend to help her feel great all the time, right?

K: "i think you're beautiful"

"Eijiro…" Ryuko was blushing to herself. It was just a word, why did it make her so flustered? Her mind wandered back to thoughts of insecurity, comparing her own body to his. What if…what if he didn't like what she looked like without clothes? What if his idea of her turned out to be wrong? Being physically vulnerable…was hard.

You're getting fat, you're not allowed to have any more food today.

Wear something else, that looks like shit.

I'm only saying this for your benefit, right? You want to make me happy, right?

She shook her head, willing away the hurtful thing _he_ would say to her. "N-no…no. You're not in my life anymore so get the fuck out of my head. He's not like you, he's a million times better than you, than you could ever dream of being," she whispered to herself with a painted expression of repressed memories. If he really thought she was beautiful, this hunk of a man who willingly listened and helped her so much the past few days, she was going to believe him.

R: "thank you. Has anyone told you how fucking ridiculously sweet you are? If not i'm telling u now"

He blushed, that familiar smile lighting up on his face as he looked at his phone screen. "Oh god…I'm doomed at this rate." He was falling fast and hard, with no visible safety net in sight.

The rest of the week was fairly uneventful. They went to work, met in the mornings at the coffee shop, and texted during the day. If Ryuko ended up having to work late, he would call her and talk all the way home to make sure got got in safely. They were falling into a routine, and it was nice.

One morning at the coffee shop, Kirishima looked up from the counter as the doorbell rang, his face one of confusion at the sight. What looked like a delivery man walked in carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

"Hi, is there a…" he bent down to read the small card in his hand. "Kirishima here?"

"Uh..that's me?" Kirishima pointed at himself, almost unsure of his own name.

"Here you go. Enjoy!" The delivery man set the vase of flowers down on the counter and left without another word, leaving Kirishima dumbfounded. Bakugou turned around from making coffee and had an equally confused look on his face.

He noticed a small card sticking out of the flowers and opened it up.

 _Eijiro-_  
Wanted to surprise you with something. I don't even know if you like flowers but HERE YOU GO ANYWAY!  
Thank you for everything. It's not much, but I hope you like it.  
Hope you're day is amazing!

~ Ryuko

Blushing furiously he looked at the flowers. They were all the same kind, and were the exact same color red as his hair. He wasn't sure what type they were, but the bouquet was nearly as big as his head. No one had ever given him flowers before…honestly gifts at all were a rarity…but still she bought him flowers?! He was filled with astonishment at the bold romantic gesture. The fact that she made herself known to him when she wasn't around made his pulse race and his blood beat under his skin.

Realizing that he was just standing there while still on the clock, he picked up the flowers, walked past Bakugou, and set them in the back storeroom. He had the goofiest smile on his face thinking about the kind act, quickly plucking one from the bouquet and sliding it behind his ear.

"Who are those from?" Bakugou stood in the doorway, backlit by the light from the open windows. Kirishima turned, suddenly feeling tension in the room.

"Ryuko did." Bakugou looked between the vase of flowers and the man standing in the shadow of the dark storage closet, his expression a poor attempt at hiding a scowl. He scoffed and was about to turn back around when a tight grip appeared on his wrist.

"Why don't you like her? She hasn't done anything to you."

"Let go of me shitty-hair." His voice was low as he attempted to pull out of the grip, but Kirishima was strong.

"Bakugou just tell me-"

"I said let GO!" He pulled hard, managing to slip from Kirishima's fingers, his arm nearly knocking over a shelf. He walked, back turned, over to the coffee machine. His actions were mechanical as he went back to work, Kirishima left in the darkness of the storeroom.

When he had a spare minute, Kirishima texted the person now occupying a majority of his thoughts.

K: "hey! Um, do you mind if I come over later?"

R: "of course, I get off around 7"

Kirishima carried the vase of flowers home as he walked from the train station to his apartment. A very small part of him thought that if he left them at work while Bakugou was there alone, they might not be there tomorrow. He hated thinking of the possibility, but the animosity his coworker put out was growing – it would come to a head soon. Besides, he could take care of them easier at home and keep them locked in his room. He slid the card attached to the flowers into his wallet for safe keeping.

He took a shower and checked his email. No replies yet on any of the applications he'd put in; frustrating to say the least, but he was almost expecting silence at this point with his job luck. But something did pop up that looked interesting…After doing some research and sending in his application he left the apartment around 7 to head back to the train station. They hadn't hung out at all outside of brief morning meetings since Saturday, and honestly he just wanted to hold her in his arms for a while.

Ryuko hadn't been in the door more than a few minutes before she heard a sing-song knock.

"It's me!"

Ryuko opened the door a peek to double check that it really was who he claimed to be. As soon as the door opened all the way, he enveloped her in a crippling hug that surrounded her like water.

"I missed you." He buried his face into the crook of her neck as she rubbed circles into his back.

"Missed you too. Did you like the flowers?" He pulled back and gave a truly heart wrenching smile that reached his eyes and beyond. Their lips met, his smile moving against her skin.

"I loved 'em! Told you so earlier. No one's ever given me flowers before…"

"Well that's a tragedy that I'm glad I corrected. Make yourself comfortable, I'm going to change out of these work clothes." Kirishima watched her walk down the hallway as he sat down on the couch. Almost immediately Ghost jump into his lap after realizing his new warm seat cushion was back.

"You really like my lap, don't you…" He was dangling a cat toy in the air, looking almost as amused as the cat when Ryuko came back in casual pajamas.

"Having fun?"

"Haha yeah actually, we just had dogs growing up so cats are a new thing to get used to. I'm glad he likes me, though." She walked around the couch, obviously wanting to take Ghost's spot in her boyfriend's lap but the cat was not having it.

"I give you food and shelter you little shit. Also I don't share." Kirishima ended up tossing the cat toy across the room, signaling a victory as Ghost chased after the jingling bell. She sat down between his legs, back against his broad chest. Despite having a rock-hard body he was very comfortable as a pillow. His arms snaked their way around her torso and pulled her closer, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Mm, did you come over just for cuddles?"

"Mostly. That a problem?"

"That's the opposite of a problem. I could tell when we first started texting that you were a cuddler and I'm glad to know I was right." He was appreciative that her hair was short, giving him easy access to her neck for soft kisses.

"I think…I'll have to confront Bakugou this weekend. Or sometime very soon." She tensed a bit under his arms, his voice a whisper on her skin.

"Did something happen today?"

"The flowers pissed him off, which pissed me off. I…think you were right. About him having feelings towards me and maybe being jealous. Which sucks, because I know it's going to end in a fight." He sighed, warm breath hitting her shoulder. "I feel like this was a long time coming and I was just too oblivious to see it."

She patted his hands wrapped around her waist. "Don't beat yourself up over this. There's just some tough stuff he's going to have to hear whether he likes it or not," reaching up she ran a hand through his hair. "You talk about being a manly man right? You're strong, and smart, and are good at diffusing bad situations. You can do this, Eijiro. I know you can." She took one of his hands and kissed each individual finger.

"I'm so glad I found you." She could feel his lashes flutter against her neck as he closed his eyes.

"Me too, Ei." They stayed like this for a while, listening to each others' breathing in the silence of of the apartment. She could feel his heart beating at her back, a sign that he was alive and close and real. They were practically asleep when Ryuko's phone rang. "Goddammit…can you hand it to me?" He reached over to grab it from the side table groggily.

Looking at the caller ID she perked up a bit. "Hello?"

"Hi honey!" said the enthusiastic voice on the other end of the phone. "Haven't heard from you in a while so thought I'd call to check in. How's everything, dear?"

"Hey, mom." Kirishima listened in at the work "mom"; he didn't know anything about her parents. "Yeah everything's fine, just been busy with work."

"You work so much, honey. You should get out more while you're young! Have you been on any dates recently hmm?" She blushed, Kirishima's arms still snaked around her torso as he craned his ear trying to listen in on the conversation.

"Tell your mom I say 'hi'," he whispered. She elbowed him gently in the stomach.

"Uh, yeah actually I've been on a few dates."

"Did they pan out this time or did you scare them all away?"

"I'm not easily scared!" Kirishima said aloud towards the phone receiver, burying his face into the couch cushion to hide his laughter and avoid Ryuko's glare and gaping mouth.

"WHO'S THERE WITH YOU IS THAT A BOY?!" He was laughing harder hearing her mother's raised voice on the other end. "You better be using protection!"

"MOM DON'T- oh my god…"

"Put him on the phone." He was wiping the tears from his eyes as her head slowly craned to give him a 'you brought this upon yourself' look.

"She wants to talk to you, better make a good first impression." Her smirk made him immediately stop laughing, nervousness replacing playfulness as she handed over the phone. He should have kept his mouth shut…

"Uh, hello?"

"What's your name, dear?" Her voice was stern, an apparent shift in tone from when she was talking with her daughter - a classic sign of an overprotective parent.

"Kirishima, ma'am!" This was a terrible idea.

"Well KIRISHIMA, that's my daughter and you better treat her right, hear me? She's my only one and I WILL come down there young man." He swallowed hard before speaking, considering his next words carefully.

"I have no ill intentions towards your daughter, I give you my word as a man and as someone who respects and cares for her greatly." Every word was true. There was silence on the other end for a minute. Ryuko didn't realize she'd stopped breathing.

"…oh dear you sound lovely! Keep her safe hm? Tell her to visit more and bring you along next time." Kirishima chuckled awkwardly at the sudden shift in tone. Apparently he'd said the right things to diffuse the situation. "Put her back on the phone, please." He handed it over.

"He sounds like a good one, honey. Sounds cute, too!"

"He is very cute." This time he was the blushing one.

"OK I'll let you get back to…whatever you were doing. Use protection! Come visit more often!"

"Love you too, bye." And with that, she hung up with a groan.

"Your mom sounds nice," he said laughing as she elbowed him again.

"She's nosey is what she is. But I guess that's most moms." She set her phone down and sighed, but suddenly thought of something. "But…uh…she reminded me of something. That I should ask about."

"Sure." She tensed a bit under him, feeling embarrassed but knowing it was the responsible thing to do.

"Um…have you been tested? Like…for STD's and STI's and all that…?" She could feel him tense as well at the question, his ears turning red.

"Uh, yeah. About a year ago. I'm clean…you?"

"Yeah, me too. I'm fine." She let out a breath. "Sorry, I know that's not a fun thing to discuss but-"

"No it's fine," he said, kissing her neck. "Honesty is important, right? And if we uh…do anything, we're good. No worries." She relaxed against his chest, her hand covering his that was rubbing circles into her hip. "A-and like I said before, there's no rush. Just being with you like this is nice…that's what matters." She turned around in his lap and kissed him. It was sweet and short and full of wordless 'thank you's'. Wrapping her arms around his torso she laid her head down on his chest, making his body into a pillow before settling in like she was about to go to sleep.

"Are you tired?" he asked, a hand coming up to brush hair out of her face. She mumbled into his shirt. "You can use me as a pillow, I don't mind. I'm pretty sure I have to work tomorrow – so do you – so I'll have to leave later, though." She didn't answer, practically asleep already. He closed his eyes as well, feeling at ease in the moment, like this was how things should always be.

Kirishima felt something tickle his nose. Sneezing, there was a loud MREOW and a thump. Opening his eyes groggily he remembered where he was, feeling a heavy weight on top of him.

Ryuko was asleep and drooling on his shirt. Looks like he wasn't the only drooler, good to know. Checking his phone he'd somehow been asleep several hours. This was going to mess up his sleep schedule, but totally worth it honestly. He tickled her ear gently to try and wake her up.

"Ryu…hey, wake up." She groaned and nuzzled into his chest. "C'mon, wake up. We fell asleep, I gotta get back…" Finally opening her eyes, she lifted up to wipe the dried drool from her face.

"Wh…oh shit, sorry. You're comfy, couldn't help it."

"I'm not complaining." He smiled as he helped her off the couch, immediately missing the close contact. "Thanks for having me over. Once this whole Bakugou thing blows over I'll invite you over to switch things up. Our apartment is cat-less and boring, though."

"Tch, you live there so it can't be bad. And like I said, you'll do fine. I believe in you." She walked sleepily over to the front door, giving him one last hug before he left. This, this is what he wanted. And it felt…right. He kissed her hair, their embrace filling his chest with something warm and light.

"I'll text you when I'm back."

"Be safe, don't talk to strangers, always look both ways when crossing the street!" she called after him.

"Yes, dear!" he laughed, walking down the sidewalk to the train station.

Walking in the front door to his apartment, he took care to keep quiet. If Bakugou was home he didn't want to cause any unneeded attention to himself before confronting him this weekend. He went into his room and turned on the light. Nothing looked disturbed, his vase of bright red flowers still sitting where he left them. He checked his phone for the rest of the week's schedule and inwardly cursed.

K: "I'm back home. I was wrong about the schedule, I'm off tomorrow oops :( so if u go in for coffee Bakugou will be the only one in there. Hopefully he won't start anything"

R: "k thanks for telling me. I'll think about it. Even tho this is mostly between you and him, if he wants to shit talk i'll do my best to be a proper adult and not tackle him. Technically i'm in the middle, but I dont want to make things harder for that convo"

He knew that she was tough, she fought off her attacker almost a week ago and managed to get away with minor scrapes and bruises. But she was right – feeding into his anger would only make things worse.

K: "ok :( be safe, lo-"

"O..oh…oh shit," he covered his mouth after realizing what he was about to type. He nervously changed the message with shaky fingers.

K: "ok :( be safe 3"

"Do I…oh god do I?!" He covered his face with his pillow, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. Peeking out to the side, he stared at the vase of red flowers and felt the soft tickle of imaginary petals at the back of his throat.

He was falling in love.


	11. Chapter 11

Ryuko stood at the crosswalk right before the coffee shop. She'd been debating all morning on whether or not to walk in, and ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the possible drama or additional animosity it might cause Kirishima. She'd drink the terrible coffee at work and hopefully things would get resolved before Monday. But she still had to pass by the front of the building.

Walking at a brisk pace, she glanced up briefly into the large windows on the outside of the shop. Almost as if waiting for her, she was met with red eyes – but eyes that were the exact opposite of Kirishima's. They burned with fire rather than heartfelt passion. She looked away and kept walking.

"Soo, how are things going with Mr. Coffee?" Ochako asked, Tsu sitting down next to her.

Ryuko took a bite out of her lunch, eyes wandering around the as she thought about her answer. "Mm, really well, actually. Like, I'm surprised that nothing is screaming at me to run away. Some hiccups here and there but overall he's…he's…pretty great." She had a faraway look in her eyes, Ochako and Tsu exchanging a knowing look.

"Do you _love_ him?" Tsu asked. The question snapped her out of whatever haze floated across her vision. Ryuko's blush was nearly the shade of the tomato on the sandwich she was eating. "Oh, you don't get embarrassed very easily…I'm right, aren't I?" Tsu asked, always straight to the point. Ochako gave Ryuko a devious look.

"Oh my gosh you are! We should have a double date!" Tsu – the person who kept her composure through all scenarios – actually turned a bit pink as Ochako grabbed for her hand.

"N-no way, it's too early to be in love with him. He's just like, super nice and thoughtful and uh hot?! And I…oh my god am I?" Her head fell like dead weight onto the table as she groaned.

"I mean, that's a good thing right?"

"I…I don't know." She let out a heavy sigh. "That's a big step forward, being emotionally open enough to say you really love another person. It's not something to say lightly. I-if I really do…I need to think about. I have to mean it if I'm going to say it."

"Well from what I remember from the party-" Tsu side-eyed her girlfriend very hard. "Heh, which isn't much…he seemed nice. If I got any bad vibes from him I'd let you know."

"Yeah, aside from working out more and getting older he seemed mostly the same from when I knew him in college. Which means he'll treat you well."

"It's not that I think he'd treat me badly…no, I know he wouldn't. It's just…sharing your life with someone else. Letting them in, getting comfortable…it's sorta scary to think about." She wasn't feeling very hungry anymore as her stomach felt tied up in knots.

"Mm…yeah. Yeah it can be, to put yourself out there like that." Ochako was still holding Tsu's hand. "But that's what trust is for, right? If you trust that he'll treat your heart like the precious glass jewel surrounded by barbed wire that I know it is, then…let him. He looked like he had strong hands." Ryuko felt her heart beat quickly inside her chest at her friend's words.

"Guys…" Tsu patted her on the arm, Ochako feeling the small prickles of tears in her own eyes.

The sun was starting to set as she walked from the office to the train station, orange light rimming the dark silhouettes of drab office buildings. She had to pass by the coffee shop on her way back, but it was closed so she wouldn't run into-

"About damn time you showed up."

She stopped walking as a voice in front of her called out. Someone was sitting against the wall of the coffee shop. As he stood up, she knew immediately who it was. Ryuko squared her shoulders and stood her ground.

"Look, I don't want to fight-" Bakugou stepped closer, silhouetted by the red sunset behind him, almost making him look like a walking blaze.

"Too bad." He was taller than her, but not quite as tall as Kirishima. Still, like back in the grocery store, he knew how to hold himself to appear solid and intimidating.

Her brows furrowed. "Why do you hate me? Why are you upset at Kirishima?" She was asking questions she already knew the answer to. The scowl on his face grew more intense.

"You don't fucking deserve him, that's why." He was close enough to spit in her face if he wanted.

"What makes you think you're the one to decide that? Isn't that his decision?" His fists were clenched tightly in his pockets, the knuckles turning white from pressure and tension.

"Because I KNOW him." Bakugou's voice was low and dangerous, like a predator cornering its prey, each word dripping with venom.

"Then talk to him about it, why confront me?" She took a step back. There was more she could say – wanted to say – but this was already a conversation heading towards a sheer drop. She needed him to let her leave or find some sort of escape route.

"Because you're in my way."

"You told me not to hurt him, right? And I haven't. I've kept my word, and I don't plan on breaking it. So just leave me alone." She made to walk around him, and he moved like he was about to stop her. By then they'd been standing talking for a while, and people around were starting to stare. A bystander looked like they were walking over to see if there was an issue.

Ryuko darted around him, and Bakugou let her.

She didn't stop until she was safely on her train going home, quickly taking out her phone to call Kirishima. He picked up after a couple of rings.

"Hey there! You on your way-"

Ryuko interrupted him, mind racing. "Eijiro, he's about to snap." It was quiet on the other end for a minute as he processed her words.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" She could hear his voice rise on the other end.

"No. It seemed like he was waiting for me to get off work. He confronted me, basically saying I don't deserve you, that I'm in his way…if he gets back to your apartment…please be safe. Promise me." She could feel her pulse beating under her skin, fast and anxious and warm as Kirishima sighed heavily in her ear.

"I don't want to fight him. I promise I'll do what I can to calm him down. Are you sure you're OK?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm on the train now."

"Ryu I'm sorry, I'm-" Just from his words she could picture his furrowed brow, a frown on his lips, sadness in his ruby eyes. It didn't suit him.

"Remember what I said a while back? Don't apologize for the actions of other people. And don't talk like like it's all ruined just yet."

"…I think that's up to him."

They continued to talk all the way to her apartment, Kirishima making sure she got home safely as always. He tried to steer the conversation in different directions so she wouldn't worry.

"Have you ever traveled anywhere? Like, a long trip or somewhere outside of Japan?"

"Like vacation? Not since I was in high school honestly. Nowhere recently. I'd like to, though. But those cost time and money." It was true. Kirishima hadn't been on a trip in a long time either due to financial constraints; but he'd always wanted to see other parts of the world, to go on adventures.

"If you had the opportunity and endless cash, where would you go?"

"Oh…oh that's tough. Honestly I want to be a nerd and visit a bunch of different museums like in Italy and France. The ones with all the famous paintings in them, I wanna see if they're all they're cracked up to be. I know the Mona Lisa is way way smaller than you'd think it is. Oh! Did you know someone accidentally erased her eyebrows while cleaning the painting years ago?" Kirishima was laughing on the other end. He didn't know much about art, but seemed to enjoy any weird facts she graced him with.

"No eyebrows?! I picture someone just coming up with a pencil and kinda erasing off the paint or something…what's that noise?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm starting a bubble bath. I'm…today was stressful. I need to chill out, honestly." Kirishima swallowed hard on the other end.

"Oh, did something happen other than…?" She thought back to the conversation between Ochako and Tsu at lunch. It was still weighing heavy on her mind, just as much as the Bakugou situation.

"Just work stress. You at least get to move around a bit during the day. I get up from my desk and stretch but…honestly not as much as I should." She poured some bubble bath into the tub as hot water spilled from the faucet, warm steam rising up to the ceiling.

"Do you need a massage or something? I mean, I've never given one…but I could try?" Kirishima had exactly zero experience with giving a body massage, but the opportunity was too perfect to pass up putting the idea out there.

"So you're offering? Hm…maybe. We'll see." She knew what massages often led to, but wasn't going to state the obvious. Kirishima cursed under his breath.

"Something wrong?"

"Just heard the door slam…I think he's back." Ryuko bit her lip, nervousness returning after she'd tried to will it away.

"Be careful. Keep me updated."

"I will."

Kirishima steeled himself before walking out into the hallway. Bakugou stood there in the silhouette of the door dripping water onto the carpet. Apparently it was raining outside. He didn't look up as he tossed his muddy shoes aside and walked into the kitchen.

"Uh, hey Bakugou. You're back late." Kirishima stood in the threshold to the kitchen as his roommate mechanically took some leftovers out of the fridge.

"Are you OK? You know you can talk with me, about whatever…" The floor was wet from dripping clothes. Bakugou's back was arched with tension, shoulders high and rigid.

"You're wrong," the blonde said, almost too low for his roommate to hear. Kirishima furrowed his brows.

"Ah? But, you can-"

"You're wrong!" Bakugou spun around suddenly to face Kirishima, his expression frantic and angry and something _else_ that Kirishima couldn't place in this moment. Kirishima adjusting himself in the doorway so that Bakugou couldn't make a run for it, couldn't escape, eyes of fire glaring down Kirishima like an obstacle to plow through. Kirishima felt like he was swallowing rocks.

"I'm not wrong! Doesn't matter what it is you can talk to me about it! We've been through a lot, right? Known each other for years, why won't you just talk to me?" He was trying to keep his emotions in check but was failing quickly.

"Because you fucking moron! YOU'RE the reason!" Bakugou screamed.

There it was; he was starting to crumble, his jaw quivering.

"M-me? But that means I deserve to know, right? If, if something I did-" He reached his hands forward but Bakugou looked at them disgusted as if they were diseased, tainted, dirty.

"WHY?! Why did you leave?!" he screamed. His breath was ragged and uneven, hot tears threatening to spill over like an overfilled glass. Kirishima felt a lump in his throat and it tasted like far away memories and ache.

"Wh…you mean back in college? Bakugou you know why! It wasn't as if I just walked away out of nowhere!" Bakugou laughed bitterly, the sound hitting Kirishima's bones like scraping metal.

"That's exactly what you did and you know it."

"Dude, I tried to talk to you and you just wouldn't hear me out! Every time I woke up I'd be alone! There was no - that isn't what I wanted!" His arms moved around frantically, still blocking the doorway as painful memories of heartache pricked behind his eyes, memories he hadn't thought about in a long time.

"WHAT ABOUT WHAT I WANTED?!" Bakugou echoed back, fully facing Kirishima now. Whether it was rainwater dripping from his hair or tears on his cheeks, neither couldn't tell.

"Bakugou sometimes the road to reaching those wants can't always be compromised! Have you felt this way since then and are just now telling me?!" The blonde looked like like trapped animal, hands shaking and chest heaving. He wanted to escape, to walk away and go back to how things were. But it was too late for that, now.

His voice and was low and cracked like the dry bed of a volcano, the burning heat of lava threatening to boil up through the slits at any moment. "I thought I could just get over it, I thought that I could move on but-" He shook his head, eyes screwed up like a thunderstorm was raging in his head. "But I can't." The last part was barely audible but it made Kirishima's heart stop. "I was so stupid."

"Bakugou…" he walked slowly forward in attempt to comfort his friend – or maybe comfort himself – but before he got too close Bakugou slapped his hands away.

"Don't touch me." His face flitted between anger and sadness. "I've tried, I've pushed it down so far I thought I was going to drown from the weight. I don't think I can do this anymore." He attempted to move out of the way around Kirishima, but his arm was caught in a strong grip. His fingers reached around to grab at the attached wrist and pull himself free, but the clasp was tight.  
Bakugou's nails dug into Kirishima's skin.

"We need to talk about this. Bakugou I don't want to lose you!" Tears were threatening to spill down his own face.

"As what?! A friend?" He spat out the word, toxic and bitter on his own tongue. "You _just said_ that that not all endings can be compromised, right? Now we're on opposite sides – what I want isn't what you want. You want someone else." His face scrunched up as he continued to fight against Kirishima's grip.

Kirishima shook his head. "Don't bring her into this."

"Do you love her?!" Bakugou all but screamed it in his face; even Bakugou looked shocked at the words that spilled from his mouth. Kirishima's eyes widened, the question catching him off guard enough for his grip to lessen just a bit, the right amount for Bakugou to pull himself free, his short nails scratching at the other's skin. The lack of an immediate answer was answer enough.

"Fucking…" Bakugou knew then that he had to go, to get away, to escape. As he tried to shove Kirishima aside, the sudden movement brought him out of his daze enough to quickly wrap his arms around the blonde's shoulders. He struggled, frustrated cries bubbling up from his chest.

"Don't DO this, Katsuki!"

"Don't you dare call me by that name!" Bakugou threw his head back as he thrashed, hitting something hard enough for a loud groan to echo in the room. The grip was released, the heartbroken man nearly falling to the floor at the sudden freedom. Kirishima's hands came up to grab his nose, leaning back up against the counter behind him. His fingers came back bloody.

Bakugou regained his footing and ran around the corner into the hallway, but Kirishima was after him in a second.

"BAKUGOU WAIT!"

All the shame and heartbreak screamed at him to run. Bakuguo knew he treated Kirishima poorly when they were together but denying he was the problem had erupted into something he could no longer contain. He'd taken advantage of Kirishima's ability to forgive again and again, and that broke him just as much as knowing his only true friend left – the one that cared about him the most – was in love with someone else. And he saw her every morning and hated her like he hated himself. He saw the way Kirishima smiled at her, and thought of a thousand missed smiles he could have returned. He wished he could go back, but he couldn't. He could only run.

He grabbed the door knob and flung open the door, rain still pouring down outside.

"BAKUGOU, PLEASE JUST TALK TO ME!" Kirishima was crying now, feeling like a moron for not seeing the signs earlier. They were so _obvious_ now that he was aware and it made him feel like vomiting. He didn't want their friendship to be ruined like this, he didn't want it to end at all.

By the time Kirishima made it outside, falling against the railing of the apartment walkway, Bakugou was running in the darkness of the rain. He disappeared into the night, the echoes of his feet hitting wet pavement as Kirishima called after him.

"Fuck…DAMMIT!" Kirishima slammed a fist against the railing, the echo of metal lost in the sound of thunder.

Ryuko sat in the warm bathtub, one hand swirling around the disappearing bubbles, the other deep in the pages of a true crime novel. Ghost was looking at her expectantly from his nap spot in the sink, tail flicking back and forth. She was anxious thinking about Kirishima but tried to keep her mind occupied. Her phone rang, nearly making her drop the book in the water.

"Hello?" There was a loud sigh on the other end. That was a bad sign.

"Uh oh, what happened? Is everything OK?"

"Um, no…it didn't go well." Kirishima held a tissue up to his nose, wincing at the pain. "He ran, I don't know where he is. We had a fight. H-he…you were right. Fuck, you and Midoriya were right. He reacted like a cornered animal. I tried to talk to him, to calm him down…but it didn't work."

"Ran away? What do you mean you had a fight? Are you hurt?" She was rising out of the tub at this point.

"Um…my nose might be broken but I don't know for sure-"

"He broke your nose?! Kirishima I'm coming over." Pulling the paper away it came back red. The bleeding was slowing at this point but dried blood still caked under his nose and into his mouth.

"What? No, no I promise I'm fine it's not-"

"Eijiro. You ran over when I needed help right? Let me help you. You don't have to do this alone." He closed his eyes, remembering the events of the past week. It seemed so long ago now, but honestly now he was the one who didn't want to be alone.

"I-" There was a knock at his front door. "Bakugou…?"

"This is the Police, open up. We got a call about a disturbance." Kirishima cursed under his breath.

"Seriously?…I have to let you go. Don't leave your apartment yet."

"Whats wrong?"

"The police are at the door…there was a lot of yelling. Someone probably called them about a noise complaint or something. I'll deal with this and call you back." The mention of the police formed a lump in the back of her throat.

"Just…be careful."

"I will, I'll call you back." With that he hung up and slid his phone in his pocket as he got up to answer the door.

Two officers stood at the door in everyday uniforms and raincoats.

"Hello sir, we got a call regarding a noise complaint and possible fighting? Looking at your nose it seems like there was some truth to that. Can we come in?"

"Uh yeah, sure." He stood aside and let them in. One officer took out a notepad and pen, the other walked around the small living room looking bored. He didn't bother removing his shoes.

"Are you alone here or is anyone else here with you? Do you currently live alone?"

"No, I have a roommate. He's who I had the argument with."

"Where is he now?" She was writing down details in the notepad while the taller officer started walking down the hallway towards the bedrooms.

"I'm taking a look around. You got anything to hide hmm?" The other officer turned around, his dark eyes staring into Kirishima's bright ones. It made him feel uneasy.

"Uh, n-no, you can search wherever." He turned back to the officer with the notepad. "And he ran away, I don't know where he is now." The officer in front of him gave him a skeptical look.

"Ran away? How old is your roommate?"

"He's twenty-four I'm pretty sure, same as myself."

He sat down on the couch and gave her any information she asked for, being sure to exclude any intimate details pertaining to the reason for the fight. He could hear the other officer shifting around items in his bedroom down the hall. Didn't they need a warrant to do this…?

"Do you need us to call you an ambulance?"

"For…oh, no. I'm fine. If I have to I can take the train to the hospital."

"And you have now idea where this…Bakugou Katsuki is right now?"

Kirishima shook his head. "No, he ran down the street. He doesn't…have a lot of friends, so I couldn't say where he ran to. He probably didn't know where he was going, he just needed to get away." He could feel a headache coming on, the pain in his nose growing worse – but the ache he felt in his chest at the thought of Bakugou literally running away from him was equally as painful. The other officer finally came out from the hallway, something distinctly red between his fingers that made Kirishima's brow furrow. He walked like he owned the place, confidence edging out from every footfall and shift of his shoulders.

"Hey, you can't-"

"I can do what I want, son." The officer stuffed a red flower into his pocket. A horrifying thought struck Kirishima like a train, and he decided to reel back any agitation at the officer taking a gifted flower for himself. "We done here, Yuki?"

"Yeah, I think so. We're letting you off with a warning. We don't wanna get called back here. Get that nose looked at, and no more fights. If you wanna press charges that's a whole other issue to deal with. Understand?" Kirishima stood up from the couch as they made their way to the front door.

"Y-yes. Thank you. I understand." He nodded as the officers put back on their raincoats and led themselves out the door and into the rain to a waiting patrol car. He quickly locked the door and made sure they were out of sight before taking out his phone to call Ryuko back, walking into the kitchen to grab an ice pack.

"Hey, they're gone. But I need to ask you something, and I know you're going to hate it but I need to know." He heard a sharp intake of breath on the other side.

"Ok…"

"What did…what did your ex look like? The really shitty one? I'm sorry for asking but-" Somehow she knew he was going to ask as soon as he mentioned that police were at the door. It was an awful gut feeling she hoped wasn't true. But she described him the best she could remember after trying to forget him for the past five years. Kirishima ran a hand through his hair as he listened to the description. It made his blood run cold.

"Shit…"

"Does he know? Eijiro did you tell them about me, did you mention me by name?" Her words were shaky on the other end of the line.

"No, I never mentioned you. Kept the conversation on me and Bakugou. He searched around the apartment, I don't know where all he went." He screwed his eyes shut. "He took one of your flowers from my room, and I immediately got a bad vibe from him. And before you ask I put the card in my wallet, your name isn't on the flowers. There's no way he would have known we're connected at all. I thought about framing one of the pictures from our first date…but now I'm glad I didn't…hey, you OK? It'll be fine I promise." She cleared her throat on the other end.

"H-how's your nose?"

"I think I need to go the hospital or something, I don't know if it's broken but uh wow it hurts."

"Which one are you going to? I can meet you there." He stuffed some ice into a sandwich bag and set it gingerly on his nose, wincing as the cold hit his bruising face. "And don't argue, it wasn't a question." For once he gave in to the offer of help. He didn't feel like arguing about this – or anything – for a long time. Now that he seriously suspected the rude officer that stole one of his flowers was Ryuko's abusive ex, he didn't want to lead her to the apartment in case they came back for any reason; meeting at a general location would be the safest bet.

"Ok, alright fine." He told her of the closest one to his apartment, and she'd meet him there. "Please be careful, I have no idea where Bakugou went so he could just be wandering around in the rain for all I know."

"I'll kick his ass if he shows up." He tried to laugh but it hurt too much. "Ok I'll text you." They said their goodbyes and prepared to meet each other at the hospital.

Kirishima held the melting pack of ice to his face as he signed into the hospital register when someone came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and was met with the woman that made his heart flutter.

"Hey – oh god, Kirishima your face…" It made him feel guilty that she looked genuinely pained at his discomfort. He finished signing in and they both sat down in the waiting area in a couple of chairs off to the side.

"It looks worse than it is, I promise." She leaned over and held his face softly in her hands, looking into his eyes. He tilted his head to kiss the palm of her hand, which had become his signature of comfort at this point. "Thank you for coming, though you didn't have to."

"Don't start, I wasn't going to leave you alone with a broken nose." She ran her fingers through his hair, the first time seeing it down. "How the hell does your hair look nice no matter what you do with it? You're like, immune to a bad hair day." Kirishima's ears turned pink at the compliment; maybe she could make him laugh for just a moment.

"Well now my nose is having a bad nose day to mess up my face so-" She pinched his cheek gently, a stern look on her face.

"A busted nose doesn't make you less handsome you weirdo." Even under the ice pack she could see him blushing. "So…tell me what happened." Kirishima took a deep breath before starting in on the story from the beginning.

She listened intently, Kirishima recounting the back and forth that eventually led to Bakugou fleeing out of the apartment into the rain. He left out the part where Bakugou asked if he loved her, avoiding eye contact as he skipped over particular detail. By the time he was done he looked tired, and not just from the pain in his head and the late hour.

"He's not a bad person…he just panics when things start to spiral. I…I never told you the reason behind him losing his old job and needing someplace to stay. In the office he was working at, he found out one of his coworkers was being harassed by one of his bosses, like…making her do things in order to keep her job. It pissed him off so much that he punched him in the face and was immediately fired. I probably would have done the same thing, honestly. It put a bad mark on his resume, any other employer that called for a recommendation would get the memo that he was 'problematic'. He was desperate, I couldn't turn him away when he needed help." Kirishima looked sad as he stared into her eyes. "He's not a bad person." Ryuko's hands held onto his tightly, the tense muscles in his arms could be felt through his skin. She let out a long sigh.

"I believe you. I don't…I don't know him like you do, but I don't think he means so be an asshole. Unrequited love can turn the best of people upside down…pain of the heart is awful and I don't wish it upon anyone. That doesn't excuse what he did or how he acted, but…" She looked up, lips apart like she was about to say something when Kirishima's name was called. He sat for a second waiting for her to finish, but she didn't. She kissed him on the side of he head as he got up. "I'll be waiting out here for you." He nodded as he walked back where the nurse was waiting, looking back over his shoulder and giving a small wave as he disappeared through the doors.

She was practically asleep in the waiting room chair when someone shook her shoulder, jolting her awake.

"Hey, wake up sleepy-head. We can go now." Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up at the warm face above her. He had a bandage over his nose and paperwork in his other hand.

"Mm, what'd they say?" Even with a bandage covering the middle of his face he was still insanely attractive.

"My nose isn't broken luckily, just took a beating. They just bandaged it up and gave me some pain meds and some stuff to reduce the swelling. It'll be good in a week or so." He held out his hand to help her up out of the stiff waiting room chair. "C'mon lets get you home."

"Uh, fat chance I'm coming back with you." Kirishima nearly tripped over his own feet as they headed out of the hospital. It had stopped raining.

"W-what? You don't have to do that." She held onto his free hand tightly.

"Eijiro let me help you, I feel useless in this situation. If you don't want me to I won't, but-"

"It's not that I don't want you to, I just don't want to be a bother…" She stopped walking and yanked his hand to turn him around and face her.

"You are never a burden so get that out of your head. We help each other, right? That's an important part of a relationship – like I said, you don't have to carry all of it alone." It felt like his heart was beating through his chest as he looked into her eyes, determined and glistening from the wet shine in the sidewalk from the rain. He interlaced their fingers.

"Ok. If you're sure."

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure."

"I have to be at work at 7 in the morning." He smiled seeing her face twitch.

"I'll just leave with you in the morning and head home. And go to sleep. Tomorrow's Saturday right? OK good," she said, answering her own question.

It was after midnight by the time they got back to Kirishima's apartment. Still no sign of Bakugou.

"Sorry for any mess in here, wasn't exactly expecting company." He unlocked the door and led them inside.

"I'm sure it's fine, you saw how some people kept their desks at work…literal trash heaps." The apartment was simple and seemed pretty clean considering two single guys were living there for half a year. "Uh Kiri?"

"Hm?"

"…Are those red Crocs yours?" she said, making him stop and turn around to look at her while also avoiding eye contact. She stood in front of a pile of discarded shoes, a pair of bright red Crocs the same shade as his hair catching her attention.

"Y-yes…they're mine. And they're comfy and I'm not getting rid of them!"

"I never said get rid of them…? I'm not going to hound your fashion choices, but if we're ever out on a nice date I'm sorry but these stay here." Considering Bakugou hated those shoes but would never throw them out, he sighed with relief at her comment. "I would never make you change, you know that right?" His face felt warm as she looked at him, and it had nothing to do with his sore nose.

"Um, yeah. Yeah I do. Thanks. I don't want you to change either."

"Anyway I like your apartment, it's cozy. Now just chill out and let me handle whatever you need. Do you want any more ice?" She all but pushed him down onto the couch as she rifled through the kitchen, already making herself at home. Honestly Kirishima was indeed tired but he didn't want to admit so outloud.

"Uh, yeah some ice would be nice thank you." He laid down on the couch, closing his eyes with the realization that he could relax for a minute. The couch dipped as he felt a cold bag lower down onto his nose, a familiar hand running through his hair.

"You just like me for my hair."

"It is very nice. Nice hair on a nice person all wrapped up in a very convenient package." He shrunk back down even farther into the couch. "Don't even try to hide it, you already know I can't lie to you. I think you're pretty amazing Kirishima Eijiro, even with a busted ass nose." She leaned down, shifting the ice bag out of the way and kissed him for the first time that night. He sucked in a breath before easing into the touch. Her lips tasted like home. The sound of his stomach rumbling made her laugh as she pulled away. "I take it you're hungry? I can make you something simple. Like I said I'm a shit cook."

An arm snaked around he waist, pulling her closer onto the couch. "Mm…no." The growl of his stomach got louder. "Uh…OK maybe a little. There's some snacks in the cabinet. No cooking required." She rolled her eyes as he reluctantly her to go to head back into the kitchen.

They joked, trying to forget the events of the night finishing out a half eaten bag of chips, but Kirishima still held a worried look on his face.

"I hope Bakugou's OK…I don't know where he went, he won't answer his phone-" A warm hand came in to cup his cheek.

"Hey. I'm sure he's fine. I think he just needs some time alone, time to think."

"What if he hates me?" The pain in his eyes was easy to read and it hurt Ryuko to see him like this. She really only knew Bakugou through minimal interaction at the coffee shop and what Kirishima's told her about him, but heartache was a fairly universal feeling that she could at least relate to.

"No, I don't think he hates you. He's just sad and upset, he's been holding all this stuff in for a while. And I don't want you feeling guilty about any of this - it's not your fault. You mean a lot to him, that much is obvious. I think he'd be even more upset if he lost you as a friend - just give him some time. And I'll be right here, OK?" He was astonished that she was just so… _understanding_ about the whole situation. Bakugou was a complete jerk to her on multiple occasions but she knew that Kirishima still cared about him as a friend, so she set aside her own anger towards Bakugou to help him rationalize things. Kirishima was grateful and he had no idea how to properly show it.

"Yeah…thank you," was all he could muster. She decided to change the subject to pull his mind away from the drama of the night and help him get to sleep, palm still cupping his face as her thumb trailed softly over the bandage on his nose.

"Are you sure you should go to work tomorrow?"

"Yeah I'll be fine. I uh…can't really afford to take a day off." He avoided eye contact as he answered. He didn't make a lot working at a coffee shop, but splitting the rent with Bakugou had helped out a lot. Still, he wasn't exactly rolling in money. Ryuko looked concerned but figured it wasn't a good time to bring up possible money problems.

"OK then, if you're sure. Let's get you up. Unless you want to sleep on the couch?"

"No, I don't. Our couch isn't as comfortable as yours." He sat up, stretching his arms and suddenly pulling Ryuko into a tight hug, still halfway sitting on the cushions. "Sorry I haven't hugged you properly until now." His embrace was warm and inviting, and she didn't pull away.

"Your hugs are kind of the best so don't let up." He squeezed tighter before finally letting go. He held her hand and smiled that sparkling smile of his before opening his eyes, a realization hitting him. His cheeks were dusted pink.

"Uh…do you…you can take my bed I can just-"

"No, you're sleeping in your own bed. I can take the couch." He looked determined.

"I'm not letting you sleep on our shitty couch."

"We can just share the bed. If that's alright with you." Kirishima avoided eye contact as he swallowed hard on something that wasn't there.

"Y-yeah, yeah that's OK with me. Um, I probably have some clothes you can borrow. They might be kinda big but they should work as pajamas." They finally got up from the couch, Kirishima leading them down the hallway into his room. There were wet boot prints leading all the way from the front door through the thresholds of the other rooms. When he opened the door to his bedroom he stopped.

"What…the hell…" Stuff was thrown all over the floor, drawers hung half-open, his bedsheets crumpled up on the bed. "He went through all my stuff?!" He walked into the room to assess the possible damage, Ryuko close behind. His room was fairly plain but still had a flare of style that was decidedly Kirishima: weights in the corner of the room, bookshelf with comics and video games, an old-looking wall tapestry with flames on it, etc. Her eyes flitted to the vase of flowers on his nightstand.

"Who went through your stuff? Bakugou?" He shook his head as he bent down to pick up various clothes and toss them into a laundry basket to sort out later.

"No…the police officer. While one was taking notes, the shitty one walked around our rooms. I didn't get a chance to look around before I left for the hospital." She held her breath, thinking about the possibility that her past abuser might have stood in this very spot, touched her boyfriends things. It made her stomach churn. But it wasn't about her in this moment, it was about comforting the man who had comforted her when she needed it.

"Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. We can clean it up later, just focus on getting some sleep." She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her face into his shoulder blades. Feeling the tension under his shirt, she placed kisses on his back. Strong hands came up to cover her own.

"Mm…sleep sounds good. Let me find you some clothes." He turned around in her arms and kissed the top of her head. She didn't let go as he awkwardly maneuvered around to one of the open drawers. "Ok fine you can just stay there." She attempted to tickle his abs – wow, he was indeed ripped – but it didn't slow him down. "Good luck finding where I'm ticklish."

"I bet I'll find it eventually. It's just a matter of…exploration." He could feel her smirk against his back, luckily she couldn't see his flushed cheeks. He quickly found a t-shirt that didn't quite fit anymore and a single pair of Crimson Riot pajama pants. He normally slept in his boxers. Wait…oh no. He'd have to deal with that later.

He turned around in her arms and shoved the clothes down between his chest and her face. "Hopefully these fit, the bathroom is at the end of the hall." He attempted to pry her arms from around his torso, but she was surprisingly strong. "Oh that's how you wanna play? OK then." He reached down and grabbed her under the thighs and picked her up, her legs swinging around either side of his hips. Her grip shifted around the wider part of his chest as she struggled to not fall backwards.

"Wh-that's not fair?! What the fuck how are you so strong?" The clothes muffled her words as he carried her out of the room and over to the bathroom. He grinned at her flustered face, enjoying how she felt wrapped around him.

"You brought this on yourself." He finally set her down on the bathroom counter. Her grip around him loosened, shifting the clothes out of her mouth. They were about even in height now, Kirishima having a victory smile on his face. To retaliate, she leaned forward and promptly licked him from jaw to ear. Again. His hands were still gripped under her thighs, she could feel his fingers tighten.

"That's what you get in return. Now get out so I can change."

"I should pick you up more often then." He swallowed hard, his grip loosening, fingers brushing lightly over her legs. Pulling back, he looked at her with half-lidded eyes. He made like he was about to lean in for a kiss before pulling away at the last second, causing an incredulous look to appear on her face. If he could make her flustered even a little, he'd consider it a win. He stuck his tongue out playfully before turning around and closing the door.

"You little shit…"

While she changed he walked to his bed and ripped off the covers and sheets, grabbing some clean ones from the closet. They weren't really dirty but – well – he wanted them to be clean if she was sleeping over for the first time. If if that guy had touched them, he _definitely_ didn't want her sleeping on them. He hoped it wasn't the last time she spent the night. Changing out the pillow cases he looked up as he heard the bathroom door open. The shirt was still too big, and the pants dragged the floor slightly, but it still sent shivers down his spine seeing her wear his clothes.

"Dude, even rolling up these pants at the waist they still drag the ground." She dropped her clothes in the corner next to the door. His pants made her butt look good when she turned around and he tried desperately not to stare. Without being asked she walked over and started helping him with the bed sheets.

"You don't have to help, I've almost got it." She gave him a look that said 'I'm helping and that's that.'

As they brushed their teeth, she attempted once again to find some place he was ticklish and it just earned her tired side-eye. Not his arms, his stomach, his neck, nothing was having an effect. She was trying to find his weakness, something to ease any last remnants of tension in the room but so far she came up cold. There were other places she could check, sure….but those were slightly suggestive and now wasn't the time to start that up again.

As he spat out the toothpaste, there was a tinge of red in his spit.

"Probably some blood from your nose caught in your throat. How does it feel?" He washed the pink spit down the drain.

"It's alright. Still sore but mostly just feel my nose is the size of a marshmallow." It's true that it was a bit swollen under the bandage, but that would go down with more ice and time. They finally headed to bed, Kirishima closing the door and turning out the light, leaving the small lamp beside the vase of flowers the only light in the room.

"Do you have a preference on which side you want?"

"I mean it's your bed, which side do you normally sleep on?"

"I sleep…in the middle? Why pick a side when you're by yourself?" She looked at him in the dim light of the room with a small smile.

"Well you're not by yourself anymore. So fine I'LL pick." She climbed in and slid under the clovers, sinking into the pillow and setting her phone down on the bedside table. "You have to get up in what…five hours? Welcome to my world."

"Do you normally get that little sleep?" He stripped off his shirt, revealing his toned chest and stomach. "But you get up later for work than I do." She closed her eyes in mock sleep, trying not to focus on the attractive man she was about to share a bed with.

"Yeah, but I've had a bad sleep schedule since college. I'm a night owl so I'm not tired until pretty late on any normal day so I just draw or goof off. Reading sometimes makes me tired. And yes I'm aware I need to get it together." She opened her eye slightly to see him taking off his pants, revealing boxers with little puppies on them. She couldn't help but let out a snicker despite seeing the appealing silhouette of his butt and his defined hipbones. What a juxtaposition.

"What are you…oh. Um sorry! I can put on something else if-"

"No it's fine. I don't now why I never guessed that you would wear underwear with cute things on them." She leaned up on an elbow now, looking as he stood awkwardly half-naked and her fully clothed. He looked really good. She patted the other side of the bed as if to usher him in. "C'mon, you have to work tomorrow hot stuff." Her face lit up as she quickly turned around and reached over to turn out the light. She felt the bed dip beside her, the light of his cell phone hitting her peripheral vision.

"I'll wake you up about half an hour before I leave, does that work?" He clicked on the alarm for his phone. She yawned, sinking back down into the pillow.

"Yeah that's fine, do what you gotta do." Feeling him move, he was suddenly leaning over her to set his phone on the nightstand. He was practically on top of her at this point.

"Uh, sorry…" Before he could pull away though she reached up to wrap a hand around his neck and pull him down to her. He met her mouth sloppily in the dark trying not to bump his nose. She felt his tongue move against her lips, his body still hovering over hers. His bare leg brushed against her covered one as he leaned into the bed. He tasted like toothpaste, her breath moving hot against his teeth. After what seemed like too little time she pulled away hoping he couldn't see her expression in the dark.

"If I want a kiss I'm going to get it. So don't think you can just pull away so easily."

"Trust me it was hard to pull away, but I couldn't resist the look on your face." Their laughs were breathy the darkness. Despite enjoying their current position, he knew tomorrow would be a huge pain with so little sleep so he slid back over to his side of the bed. He felt her shift closer, laying a hand on his chest.

"Ei." He turned his head to look at her.

"Hm?" It was quiet for a minute as he laid a hand on top of hers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just…glad I'm here. With you. I'm glad that you want me here." He turned his face to the side to look at her. She could still see his eyes in the dark, and they were beautiful and glistening and emotive.

"I wouldn't want anyone else here, Ryu. Thank you for staying with me and helping me out tonight." He leaned forward and kissed her like the sunset kissed the stars as they passed by each other. Maybe she could read what he wanted to say without him saying it. She sighed against his lips. "We should go to sleep."

"Yeah, I know." He gave her one more kiss goodnight and shifted away. She moved so her head rested in the crook of his chest and shoulder, one arm wrapped around his torso. For once he didn't feel embarrassed, just at ease. It felt right.

They both fell asleep with unsaid words stuck to the roofs of their mouths like hard to swallow taffy, afraid of what the other might say in return.


	12. Chapter 12

Sun filtered through the bedroom window as Kirishima heard a familiar tone and vibration against his nightstand. He groaned, about to reach over to shut off his alarm when a weight on his chest stopped him. Ryuko was asleep next to him, arm draped across his chest, legs tangled together with his. Blushing, he slowly maneuvered his way out without waking her up, his alarm still ringing. Swinging his legs off the bed, he groggily walked over to the other side to shut off his phone. Looking down at the sleeping woman next to him, he felt like it wouldn't be so bad to wake up like this more often.

Everything was warm and comfortable and secure, a cocoon she didn't want to leave. The smell in her nose was familiar but she couldn't quite place it, face buried in the fabric of a pillow. But all good things had to come to an end as she was awoken by something warm touching her head, making her eyes scrunch together in blatant refusal to open.

"No." She pulled the covers higher up over her head. Someone else rudely yanked them off.

"Nope, you gotta get up sleepy-head."

"Why the hell are you so happy this early in the morning," Ryuko mumbled out. She rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the light in the room. Kirishima stood over her, his bright smile practically blinding at this hour.

"Because I'm awake. Also, I took some pain meds so I feel pretty good. Also! I have a beautiful girlfriend in my bed that I cuddled with all night so why shouldn't I be happy?" he exclaimed, like it was the simplest explanation in the world. "You got thirty minutes." He gave her another quick kiss before leaving the room and closing the door.

She sat up groggily, hair a literal nest. Shuffling across the room Ryuko grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom. Opting to skip the shower, she decided to head straight home and back to bed. A shower could wait. Scrubbing her face with some water and swirling around some mouth wash, she noticed a brush with very bright red hair curled around the teeth and used it to tame down her own hair into something moderately presentable. Tossing back on the same clothes from yesterday and leaving Kirishima's clothes in his room, she walked out and found him in the kitchen eating some toast and rice.

"That was fast."

"When I get home I'm just going back to sleep, so I'll take a shower later." He pushed forward the plate full of toast and she gladly took some. "You see this?" she said, pointing to her tired face. "If you wanna stay with me this is my morning face before I get my shit together." Kirishima laughed, nearly spitting out his toast at her exaggerated expression of sleepiness.

"You look great any time of day I'm sure."

"That damn flattery…how's your nose?" She slowly chewed on a piece of toast as he crossed his eyes to look down at the now clean bandage.

"About the same as last night, a little less sore though. Hopefully no one gives me grief about it at work…"

"Is Bakugou supposed to work today?" His hand hesitated before grabbing another piece of toast.

"No, he's off today. I don't know if he'll come back to get his things later if he really is intent on staying away now. I can't predict what he'll do at this point." She decided to change the topic quickly, noting his shift in disposition at the mention of his roommate.

"How long does it take you to spike up your hair like that?" He swallowed, thinking for a second before answering, glad for the subject change.

"Mm, maybe ten minutes? I've gotten the routine down so it doesn't take me long."

They fell into easy morning conversation as Ryuko slowly woke up. When it was time to leave they gathered their things and headed out the door, Kirishima locking it behind him. He took her hand in his as they walked together to the train station. The ride was easy and the train was moderately empty at this hour as Ryuko leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes for a minute, a strong arm coming up to wrap around her shoulders.

"Ok, this is my stop. I'll text you when I get in."

"Mk, be safe, if you need anything call." He kissed her quickly before she hopped off the train.

"You too, have fun at work!" With that, she stood looking back at him from the station as the train pulled away to his normal morning stop.

She made it home safely, making sure she was fully awake and aware as she walked home. Ghost was there waiting for her, not used to his human servant staying away for a night. He meowed in annoyance at the change in routine.

"Yes, yes, I know, sorry I can't serve you 24/7." Double checking her door was locked, she tossed off her clothes and fell back into her own bed. It was comfortable and familiar, but felt unusually cold. Before she let sleep overtake her, she texted Kirishima with a quick sleepy selfie, tucked under her own bedsheets along with "i'm back ok goodnight ttyl"

K: "lucky! Get some sleep :)"

The day was pretty boring and average for Kirishima, though his mind wasn't at all on work. The dramatic events of the previous day replayed in his mind: Bakugou's heart-wrenching confession, running away in the middle of the night, his busted nose, the visit from the police, sleeping next to Ryuko in his own bed…events just seemed to pile up one after the other, and he was already feeling the strain tugging at the base of his neck like a buzzing fly. He managed to get through most of the day without incident until he received a text from a number he didn't recognize:

xx-xxxx-xxxx: "this is Jirou, Bakugou's friend. He stayed with me last night but you gotta talk to him. I dunno how to fix this"

Kirishima groaned. "Oh no…well at least he didn't sleep out in the rain." He nervously typed out a reply before another customer came in.

K: "OK, I can come by after work and try and sort things out. But it didn't go so well last night…i can try though"

J: "This is between you and him so i'm not getting involved but I have a night shift and i'm not leaving him here by himself. He's kind of a wreck.."

K: "I get off at 4, give me your address"

Kirishima attempted to will away the headache he felt coming on to no avail. He wasn't sure if the pain in his head was caused by his nose or trying to get a hold on everything that was happening at once; possibly a mix of both. He texted his girlfriend as he punched out from the shop.

K: "hey, i'm leaving work now."

R: "heading home?"

K: "no :( Bakugou slept at a friends house and i'm going over to try and sort this out…i don't want him to stop showing up to work because of me and lose his job or something"

R: "honestly? You're being way more considerate to him than he is to you at this point. Yeah he's hurt but so are you, so he better get it together. Just…dont let him make you feel guilty for anything. Its not your fault."

Kirishima sighed at the text. Though he knew he shouldn't feel bad for no longer having romantic feelings towards Bakugou, remembering the the sheer heartache on his friend's face made his chest feel cold. He always tried to help others, to keep them safe to the best of his ability – that's what it meant to be a man to him, to protect the people he cared about. But Bakugou was hurting _because_ of him, and he couldn't help feeling the responsibility of that knowledge weight down on him like heavy rain.

K: "I know. I wont let him do anything. I'll let you know how it goes."

R: "good luck…again. Seriously if he hits you again i'm coming after him myself."

K: "lol I know, trust me I can only deal with one broken thing at a time"

After following the directions to the address texted to him, Kirishima eventually arrived at an apartment complex not actually far from his own – this was probably the closest place Bakugou could think to go at the time. He steeled himself before knocking on the door.

A short woman opened the door, dark purple hair cut above her shoulders in a severe asymmetrical cut. She looked tired and annoyed.

"You Kirishima?" he asked curtly. He nodded. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "OK look. I don't know what all happened between you two, but you've gotta fix it. He came here in the middle of the night in the rain, he wasn't even wearing shoes. This is the first time I've ever seen him like this, just so…broken. It's none of my business, but you've gotta try and talk this out." Kirishima stood there for a minute, thinking about what he could possibly say to get Bakugou to come back, to even consider trying to be friends again. He looked at the purple-haired woman again and nodded.

"I'm sorry for the trouble he's caused you. I honestly don't know if I can say anything at this point to make him come back, but I'll try my best." Figuring that was the best answer she was going to get, she led him inside.

Bakugou sat motionless in a living room chair, head down and fingers interlaced like a statue. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, the same ones he wore as he sped in the opposite direction of his problems. Kirishima noticed how even from this far away he looked so small and tired. They were both tired, but it was like Ryuko said…she didn't wish the pain of heartache on anyone. So right now, it was his job as a friend to do what he could to help – even if he was the cause of the pain. Jirou stood off to the side out of the way, but listened in just in case a fight broke out.

"Bakugou…hey. It's me." Kirishima kept his voice soft and inviting. Bakugou didn't look up but seemed to shrink back slightly at the introduction.

"Look…I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry about everything I did that hurt you, but I can't take it back or change things. I can only move forward, and you can too. I KNOW you can. You're honestly the strongest dude I know, you never let anything hold you back, right? You're smart and resourceful and a good person, Bakugou." Kirishima stood with bated breath, not risking getting closer at this point. Slowly he looked up from his stone-like state in the chair. His eyes were red and swollen from crying and he was trying not to look defeated, but he was out of energy and resolve at this point. He looked at Kirishima with sad eyes, surprise lighting up his face.

"Your nose…" His voice was hoarse and dry, like it was painful to talk.

"You don't remember…?" Bakugou opened his mouth to speak but ground his teeth together like scraping metal.

"I hurt you? I broke your nose and you're apologizing to me?" Tears were threatening to spill over again, hands coming up to hide his face. "Of course you would fucking apologize…" Kirishima risked taking a few steps forward.

"It's fine, it's not broken. It'll be good as new in a week. You have a really hard head, though." He risked a joke, anything to cut the tension in the room. Bakugou's shoulders shook, but he couldn't tell if it was from crying or laughing.

"Kirishima…I'm sorry." With that the dam broke, Bakugou's shoulders shivering as he tried to keep tears from spilling like a waterfall.

"Don't…don't apologize. I promise it's fine. I just want you to be OK…you know I care about you, right? I always felt like we'd be a team through thick and thin. No busted nose could change that." Kirishima spotted a tissue box and gingerly placed it near Bakugou's feet before backing away again.

He snatched up the box and turned his face away in an attempt to keep some dignity.

"You don't…you can move out, if you want. I understand if you don't want to be around me anymore." It genuinely broke his heart to say it, but Kirishima needed to put it out there in the open. They'd been friends for almost over eight years at this point, and he hated the idea of possibly cutting contact with his best friend – but if that's what Bakugou wanted or needed, then he'd do it.

"D-don't be stupid, idiot. It's not like I have anywhere else to go anyway," Bakugou conceded with a sneer. His hands were shaking as he ripped up the tissue wound between his fingers. "You've stuck by my stubborn ass all this time, so don't think you can get away from me that easily." He laughed bitterly. He really _didn't_ have a choice, not at this point in his life anyway. He couldn't afford to live on his own, and no one else would take him in.

"I'd never kick you out, I don't think I could if I tried anyway." Bakugou still looked tired, but it seemed like he was trying.

"I just…need time I think. I know I'm a giant asshole, and yeah it still sucks, but whatever I can deal with it." He sighed, leaning back into the chair and letting it support his body which felt like lead. "Running away from difficult shit isn't me, anyway."

"No, it's not. Like I said, you're the strongest person I know. And if you need space I'll give it to you." He smiled that genuine toothy smile of his and Bakugou had to look away. It was always so bright.

"Does she love you back?" The question caught him off guard, his eyes looking at Bakugou to make sure he heard correctly. It looked like it honestly pained Bakugou to ask the question, but he did it anyway. He needed to know.

"W-what?"

Bakugou scoffed. "You heard me. She better fucking treat you right or I'll kick her ass…" Kirishima avoided Bakugou's gaze, his cheeks heating up at the shift in topic.

"Uh…she doesn't know. I haven't told her yet…what if she doesn't-"

"She'd be a literal DUMBASS to not love you back! You're fucking great and I won't put up with you putting yourself down." Most of his depressing self-pity was replaced with anger at Kirishima questioning himself and his worth. Over time he could accept moving forward, but only if he knew whoever Kirishima chose would treat him with every ounce of respect and care that he wish he could go back and show him. As much as he hated it, he couldn't change past events – but he'd make damn sure his friend wound up with someone worthy of the care he gave to everyone else.

"Bakugou…it's just a big step! And I'm kind of letting her lead things, honestly…she's been through a lot and I don't want to push anything too fast." Bakugou remembered the previous week when Kirishima ran out the door into the night. He never elaborated on what exactly happened, but considering the far away look on the red-head's face it must have been at least somewhat traumatizing.

"Well whatever you do I have your back. But also please do NOT fuck while I'm the-"

"Bakugou!" His face was nearly the same shade as his hair.

"What?! I'm just saying go to her place or something!"

"Oh my god…" Kirishima laid down on the couch and threw his apron over his face to hide his embarrassment.

"Well if you guys are done bonding can you leave soon? I gotta go to work." Jirou poked her head out from her hiding spot. Bakugou looked incredulous at the intruder.

"Were you listening to all that?! What the fuck!"

"This is MY apartment you shit! And I needed to make sure you didn't break any more lamps."

"Dude you broke a lamp?" Kirishima sat up from the couch, uncovering his blushing face to look at his friend.

"It was in my way!"

"Ah yes, the sentient lamp conveniently stepped in your warpath last night mmmmhm" Jirou said unconvinced.

This back and forth went on for a little while longer until everyone finally calmed down and Jirou ushered them out, Kirishima apologizing for any inconvenience. Bakugou just growled as he walked down the steps to the sidewalk. They walked mostly in silence back to the train station. Tension still lingered in the air, but mostly dissipated over the last hour or so of conversation. Once they were on the train back home, Kirishima texted his girlfriend that everything seemed to be going well and they were both on their way back.

R: "oh shit, that's good! Glad everything turned out alright. Did he apologize to you? He better have."

K: "Yeah, he did. Which I know was hard to do because he never apologizes to anyone, really. I was worried at first but hopefully things turn out alright now. It's possible that he might need some alone time for a while to process things, would it be ok if I stayed with you sometimes?" He was practically inviting himself over.

R: "ya sure, you're always welcome over. I think Ghost misses you. Or maybe just your lap, idk."

K: "lol so only the cat misses me?"

R: "it shouldn't even be a question at this point, I miss you whenever you're not here" The response made him blush, which made Bakugou give him tired side-eye from a couple of seats down.

"You're such a sap," he scoffed.

By the time they made it back to the apartment Kirishima was honestly ready to go to sleep – the lack of rest the previous night coupled with the drama of the day wore him out. He opened the front door, Bakugou behind him complaining to "hurry the hell up" so he could change out of his clothes from the previous day.

"Oh, uh you should know-"

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY ROOM?!" Bakugou stormed out after opening the door to his bedroom. "Did someone break in?!" He looked ready to fight someone, but not in the same anguished way as the previous night.

"No, after you left someone in the complex called the police for a noise complaint…we were kind of loud. One of the officers was a dick and went through our stuff while the other one was asking me questions in here."

"Wh- the police were here? And they just went through our shit?!" Bakugou growled as he marched back into his room and slammed the door. Kirishima sighed as he went into the kitchen for a glass of water before heading into his own room to finish cleaning up his own mess.

He didn't find anything missing luckily, just things moved around or thrown on the floor. Was the officer actually looking for something, or was he just being an asshole? There was no evidence in his room of Ryuko, no pictures or notes. Everything was on his phone or his wallet, and those remained on his person the whole time. Still, the thought that her possible abuser was in their apartment made his blood boil. In the short amount of time Kirishima interacted with the guy he came across as someone who felt untouchable, that his job status prevented him from facing any consequences for his actions, that he could push people around. It was easy to see how someone could be threatened into staying in a harmful situation when your abuser was someone who could make up any reason to arrest you – or worse. He didn't realize he was wringing the shirt he picked up between his hands when a knock came at his door.

"Eh? Come in." Bakugou walked in, surveying the last bit's of Kirishima's own messy room. His eyes lingered on the red flowers for a second before turning back to his roommate.

"I'm making dinner, don't give me any shit about it. You get to choose what we eat. Doesn't matter what it is."

"Dude you don't have to-" but Bakugou's glare made him shut up. "Uh…OK then. Do we have the stuff for katsudon?"

"I'll go check. If not I'll go to the store. Do NOT fight me on it." And with that, he left to search around the kitchen. Kirishima was struck with a sudden thought.

"Bakugou! Hey!"

"What?!" He appeared back in the doorway of Kirishinma's room.

"You…don't get pissed, and you don't have to do this right now…but you need to apologize to Ryuko at some point." Bakiugou looked incredulous.

"Wh- apologize?! For what?"

"For threatening her more than once, as a start. For sorta being an ass to her? And you want to make up for my nose?" Kirishima pointed at his bandage dramatically to drive the point home, Bakugou growling under his breath. "Then apologize to her." Kirishima could see the blonde's knuckles turning white from the grip of his fist at being ordered to apologize, but at this point? Bakugou could deal with it.

While Bakugou honestly didn't want Kirishima mad at him, it was tough to admit twice in one day that he owed someone an apology. Despite what had gone on between them, Bakugou could admit to himself that he acted like an asshole, even if a small part of himself said it was alright to be mad at the situation. As for his new girlfriend, Kirishima was honestly right in that she _did_ deserve some type of apology from him; he could admit he wasn't exactly 'nice' to her…

"Fucking fine! Just…just give me a few days to get my shit together. Jesus…" With that, he stormed back into the hallway towards the kitchen.

Kirishima changed into some pajamas – opting to wear the pants Ryuko had borrowed – when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, just wanted to see how everything was going. You guys getting along OK so far?"

"Yeah, so far so good. Seems like he feels bad so he's making us dinner, my choice."

"That's nice of him." He heard a small grunt on the other end of the line.

"You OK?"

"Uh yeah I'm fine. Just not feeling all that great."

"Are you sick? Do you need me to bring you any medicine?" After all she'd done for him he didn't mind running an errand for her.

"No, no I'm fine. I have stuff here. Just uh…cramps. Dumb women shit." Kirishima furrowed his brows, not understanding at first.

"Cramps…oh! Oh, sorry." That's right, women have periods. That was a thing. Duh. "Do you uh, normally feel bad during…?" He didn't have any sisters, but he had an idea of the monthly annoyance women dealt with from school health courses and a couple of past girlfriends. A lot of women seemed to hide it though, like it was something they shouldn't talk about. But it was totally normal, and he wouldn't be grossed out by a bodily function, even if he didn't experience it himself.

"It usually just lasts the first day, then I feel pretty much fine after that. So I just use it as an excuse to be lazy and chill out for a day while it passes." He folded up the last pair of pants into his drawer, his room finally back the way it was.

"That's good, you just relax and feel better, OK?"

"Ha, I will don't worry. But you need to relax too, the past couple of days were kind of heavy. What do you normally do to unwind?" she asked.

"To unwind…? Mm sometimes I'll play a video game, or go for a jog or work out. Something to sort of let the stress kind of fall off ya know?"

"Well do one of those things. That massage you mentioned the other day? We'll do an exchange soon, how does that sound?" His mind started to wander at the suggestion; he was glad he brought it up in the first place.

"Uh yeah! Yeah we can do that." He wasn't about to pass on the opportunity. She'd seen him in his boxers, but he still only had his imagination to go off of for the most part. He wasn't going to ask her to do anything that made her uncomfortable, though. Like he told Bakugou – he'd let her set the pace. "But I'll let you go, gotta check to make sure Bakugou needs any help with dinner."

"Sure thing. Oh, let me know if you need to stay the night at any point like you mentioned earlier."

"Oh, right." He remembered Bakugou mentioning he might need space for a while and felt lucky she was willing to let him stay over if he needed to. "I'll let you know. Talk to you later."

He walked into the kitchen to find Bakugou working on dinner, apparently finding everything he needed for katsudon.

"Oi, don't touch anything!" Bakugou basically shooed him out of the kitchen until it was ready. "Get the fuck out while I'm cooking!"

"Glad to have you back, Bakugou." Kirishima gave a nervous smile as he walked back down to his room, content that things might actually start getting back to normal.

The rest of the week went by without incident. Bakugou went back to being his brash self for the most part, only once asking Kirishima to spend the night elsewhere. He didn't complain since it meant getting to go to sleep and wake up next to his girlfriend…who he still hadn't confessed to. Luckily he might have the perfect romantic opportunity coming up.

"Hey, are you busy Friday night?" Ryuko was at home, relaxing after work one day and giving the daily required pets to Ghost.

"Friday? No I don't think so why?" Kirishima was in his own bed looking over at the slowly wilting flowers on his bedside table. He should really put them in better light, or at lease preserve a few before they all wilted.

"I wanna take you out to dinner. Like, a nice dinner. I'm guessing you like steak?"

"Uh, yeah I love steak. But you know we don't have to spend a lot to-"

"Yeah I know. But I want to. We haven't really been out on a date since…the work party. So lets go out and have a good time, alright? And it's my treat so chill out about money." He very rarely had the opportunity or funds to eat anywhere expensive, but if she was offering…it would be rude to turn her down, right? And she probably wanted more memories spent together without trips to the hospital or tearful confessions of past trauma. He could certainly accommodate that.

"Ok, yeah! And I'm off Saturday too so we can just…hang out afterwards and the next day. No obligations." She didn't miss how he basically implied spending the night, but the sexual tension between them had been growing at this point. She knew he'd never push her into anything, but honestly she was ready to move things forward and tell him how she really felt. The confession still lingered on her lips as it died in her throat at the hospital, the palpitations of her heart whenever he was around loud in her ears.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. I'll make reservations then. I'll probably wear the dress I didn't wear to the office party. You still have the pictures?"

"Why would I delete those? They were hot-" He bit his lower lip. "I mean-" But she laughed on the other end, easing the tension in his shoulders. Even now he still got flustered when he let something slip.

"They were honestly like very tame selfies. Do you…want something that's actually hot?" He swallowed hard, his cheeks heating up at the question. She hadn't sent him any type of suggestive pictures so this was a first.

"Uh…are you offering?"

She debated for a minute before sending over a picture she'd been keeping since their first date. This was proper suggestive flirting, and she hoped it wasn't too much. But the crashing noise and cursing on the other end make her wonder if it was a bad idea.

"Uh, Kiri-"

"You took a picture of it?!" he said nearly screaming into the phone. He was halfway off the bed, head down near the floor while his feet dangled in the air. He'd been so shocked he'd dropped his phone, nearly diving after it to keep the screen from smashing against the floor. "Um, sorry! I uh dropped the phone holy shit." His face was the same shade as his hair – and the thing she wore in the photo – his boxers suddenly feeling tight.

"Does that improve on the other pics at all? I mean you've sent me a few so…are we even now?"

"Uh…y-yes. I mean! The others weren't bad but uhm…have I told you you're just really hot?!" She giggled on the other end, enjoying making him flustered.

"Yeah, you have," she said with a light laugh.

The picture basically wrapped up to her standing in front of a dressing room mirror in a revealing bright red lace lingerie piece. It came down low in the front, nearly to her belly button – he could see now that it looked pierced – and tied in the front with a bow. She still wore a bra and panties but Kirishima's mind was racing. This was the most he'd seen of her at this point; the fact that she felt comfortable sending him something like this meant she trusted him. He was still trying really hard not to appear like a horny kid over one photo, but it was difficult.

"Um, do you have your belly button pierced?"

"Yeah, I do. I honestly forget about it half the time, I got it done in high school."

"Do you have…any other piercings?" He swallowed hard as he asked, still hanging halfway off the bed.

"What a question," she laughed on the other end. "Other than in my ears, no. I do have a tattoo, though." That honestly caught him off guard.

"Really? Where? I've thought about getting one but I just can't decide on what I want."

"I have a big one on my back. It's…a phoenix. I got it about four years ago. It was me wanting something to say I'm starting over, new opportunities, blah blah blah. Sappy stuff." Kirishima knew roughly the lore behind a phoenix – it was a symbol of rebirth and renewal. If he did the math correctly she'd gotten it after escaping from her bad relationship. He hoped their progression as a couple could be an opportunity to move forward in a positive direction.

"I'd like to see it sometime."

"Maybe I'll show it to you after dinner, hmm?" He cleared his throat.

"O-ok, yeah. I'd like that."

After a while they hung up as Kirishima got ready for bed, glad things were starting to finally normalize again so he could focus on trying to express his feelings properly to Ryuko. As he was brushing his teeth though, a sudden thought hit him.

"…Oh my god I've never given her a gift. Like, anything yet?! She got me flowers and has been so nice oh god I'm a shit boyfriend…" Toothpaste dripped down his chin at the realization that he'd never actually given her _anything_ when she'd done so much for him. Sure, gifts outside of holidays and special occasions were extra but he thought she deserved that. His flowers were dying at this point despite his best efforts at internet research to save them, but he pressed a handful into a book to preserve.

"Oi, hurry up!" Bakugou slammed his fist against the only bathroom door in the apartment. Kirishima opened it, toothpaste still dripping out of his mouth making Bakugou take a step back.

"Wipe your fucking mouth, geez." Kirishima grabbed his shoulders in a panic.

"Dude I need your help!"

"Right this minute?!" Baklugou shoved him back into the bathroom and made him clean his face like a child.

"If you don't wanna help me out its fine but, ugh I feel so dumb! I wanna get Ryuko a gift but I dunno what?! It's gotta be good and it's gotta mean something so nothing like, generic or boring. Bakugou you're smart please help?" He had an annoyed look on his face at being asked to help figure out a gift for Kirishima's girlfriend who he still hadn't apologized to. He didn't know her that well aside from…brash confrontations, so how the hell was he supposed to know what she'd want?

"The fuck are you asking me for? You obviously know her better than I do so get something you know she'd like that says it's from you. Think up some sappy shit to attach to it that makes it sentimental and BOOM, you're done. Now get the hell out of the bathroom." With that, Bakugou shoved his roommate out and locked the door behind him.

"Something only I'd know she'd like…maybe something that reminds her of me that she can keep." He spent his time attempting to fall asleep thinking about different gifts he could get. He wanted it to mean something, and the emotional worth of a gift was in the words and feelings attached to the whatever you were giving, right? It didn't need to be something expensive or fancy. He wanted to…give her something that showed he cared about her as a person. To show that he loved her.

The idea made his heart beat against his chest, but he decided: he'd tell her on their date Friday. Be manly and honest!


	13. Chapter 13

**NOTE: this chapter is explicit. all characters depicted are mid 20′s.**

The next morning Kirishima stood in front of the cash register like he did most mornings, waiting for his girlfriend to come in for her routine coffee. Right on time she walked through the door. It always set a good mood for the day when he could see her, even if it was just for a few minutes.

"Good morning, stranger!" He greeted with that bright smile that she did her best to return despite the early morning hour.

"Morning, sir. The usual if you don't mind." If he had an employee discount he'd give it to her everyday. She'd been coming into the shop for almost a month now and they'd been dating almost three weeks; Kirishima kept track. "You ready for dinner, tomorrow? And you get that bandage off your nose, right"

He gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Yeah! Steak sounds so good right now I can't wait. And yeah, the bruising is pretty much gone now so it should be fine." He looked like he was honestly daydreaming about steak. "Do you wanna meet at closest train station and walk?"

"Yeah I'll check to make sure it's not supposed to rain or anything. If it does we're taking a taxi, I'm not walking in the rain." Ryuko walked over to the other side of the cafe to wait for her order. She and Bakugou hadn't directly spoken since he'd confronted her after work the previous week. Kirishima bugged him to properly apologize, but Bakugou was as stubborn as ever. Admitting that he'd messed up, that he'd been shitty to the person Kirishima cared about made him pissed at himself more than anything now that the storm had passed. He was actively working towards moving forward and if he was going to try and stay friends with Kirishima – even if it was at a distance for a while – then he'd have to fix it. Didn't change the fact that he hated it.

He put her order on the counter without looking up, and she took it without a word. She had a quick goodbye with the red-head before heading out the door to work.

"Did you figure out some shitty gift yet?" Bakugou turned around, Kirishima still looking towards the front door. For once he looked…confident? Like he knew exactly what he wanted, like he wasn't embarrassed of his feelings anymore.

"Yeah, I did. I'm going to get it after work. And dude, I know I keep bugging you about it but-"

"Yeah yeah I know. Working on it."

It was Friday night and Kirishima stood in front of his mirror to give himself a once-over before meeting his date for dinner. He wore something similar to what he wore to the office party with the addition of a brightly colored patterned tie. The bandage was finally off his nose so actually felt presentable. Pumping himself with an internal pep talk, he grabbed a small gift bag from his bed before heading over to his nightstand and sticking the unused condoms from the previous couple of weeks into his pocket.

"Bakugou, I'm leaving! Won't be back until tomorrow sometime." Bakugou came out into the hallway from his room. He gave Kirishima a once-over and rolled his eyes at the tie but didn't say anything.

"Don't fucking worry about it, it'll be fine." Kirishima nodded in response.

"I'm not worried, I know it'll go well. But thanks, bro. I mean it." With that he left the apartment, leaving Bakugou alone.

"What an idiot…" Bakugou shook his head, a small smile on his face as he walked back to his room.

"Ok ok, I look fine right? Took a shower, perfume, cleaned my room, halfway matching underwear, I shaved…wish me luck, Ghost?" He gave a tired meow from her bed as a response, Ryuko for once feeling like the nervous one in this situation.

Ever since almost telling Kirishima that she loved him at the hospital, it'd been on the tip of her tongue but she just…couldn't bring herself to say it. That's why she planned a nice dinner – that was romantic, right? Perfect opportunity to be cliché and tell him how she really felt. He'd honestly been amazing to her. He was a good listener, was kind, didn't hesitate if she needed help or just wanted to talk, they had a lot in common, just had fun together…it's what she wanted. Not just a boyfriend or girlfriend but a real partner, someone to share experiences with. She could feel her heart beating in her throat. It was like Ochako said, she had to trust him, right? If you're going to fall in love, someone should be there to catch you. And Kirishima already proved he could carry her just fine.

Kirishima stood at the train station, the sun setting low behind tall office buildings looking dark and mostly abandoned on a Friday night. One hand in his pocket and the other holding the gift bag, he turned as someone called his name. She looked beautiful. Kirishima figured he should be nervous…but he wasn't. He felt calm, like nothing could stand in his way…and this time he'd make absolutely sure that he was by her side the entire night.

"Hey! Wow, how do you always look so pretty?" He met her in the middle, picking her up by the waist and spinning her around before kissing her. She laughed at the dramatic move, and he was always happy to hear her laugh.

"You're starting out strong tonight! Nice tie, I like it. Very…Kirishima." She grabbed him by the hand. "You ready?"

"Absolutely!" he said, hiding the gift behind his back as she led the way to the restaurant.

They approached the front doors of the fancy-looking restaurant, Ryuko giving the hostess her name for the reservation. Kirishima was a bit overwhelmed at first; this was definitely on the nicer end of places he'd been in, and honestly they stuck out a bit from the other patrons as he looked around, mostly filled with older couples or business men chatting with colleagues and clients. He still held onto Ryuko's hand, his other concealing the gift bag as best he could.

They were led back to a candlelit table where they sat down, Kirishima concealing the gift next to his feet until he felt it was the right time to pull it out.

"You look anxious, it's just dinner," she said, taking a sip from her glass of water on the table.

"I know, I just don't think I've been anywhere this nice before." He scratched the back of his head, his nerves starting to come back just a little.

"Then it should be memorable, right?" Looking at her in the soft glow of the candlelight across the table made his heart flutter, so he swallowed down the uptight feeling in his stomach. He'd make tonight a nice memory to the best of his ability.

They ordered a bottle of nice sake, making light conversation. It seemed like the past couple of weeks were filled with one thing or another that caused drama or tears, and they were just ready to put those memories behind them and move forward with something that was still new and invigorating. Kirishima's foot brushed up against the gift bag under the table, bringing him back to the reality of the moment. It was now or never, right? Confidence was manly!

"Uh, Ryuko…"

She paused in her conversation to look across the table. "Hm? What's that look for?" His shoulders were tense and he avoided her gaze. "What's on your mind."

"I uh, got something for you! Just open it first and I'll explain so it makes sense." He reached under the table and grabbed the gift bag, handing it over. His hands fidgeted in his lap as she opened it.

"Kiri you didn't have to get me anything…" Taking out a couple pieces of tissue paper something red poked out from the bag. She removed it, now holding a dragon stuffed animal in her hands. It was bright red with sharp teeth and small horns. Spikes trailed down its back to the end of the tail.

"It's so cute! It looks kinda like you right?" She held it up to compare her boyfriend's spiky red hair and unusually pointy teeth to the dragon in her hand. "I love it, thank you." Kirishima swallowed, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. Be bold and confident and straightforward, be manly! No regrets!

"Ok so! Uh, yeah I saw it and besides the fact that I like dragons and thought it looked pretty cool it reminded me of you? Because dragons are supposed to protect what's precious to them, right? Ignoring the whole kidnapping princesses thing, I just thought that I wanted you to have something to remind you of me! Something you could keep. So even if I'm not there with you, this little guy can be a stand-in so you know you aren't alone. And it's not like I don't think you can handle yourself or anything!" He was gesturing wildly and looking literally anywhere other than her face, cast shadows of his animated hands dancing on the wall behind them from the candle in the middle of the table. "You're brave and strong and really amazing, but…I just uh, want to keep you safe. I want you to reach out to me if you ever need help. I…uh…" Why was he breathing so hard? He chanced a glance at his date who held the dragon toy delicately, eyes glistening and unreadable in the dim light. Finally she looked up, and the words he wanted to say were locked in his throat.

"Eijirou." One hand reached out to take his, fingers folding into his knuckles, the other still holding onto the red dragon. "This is honestly, like…one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever gotten? The fact that you thought about what it would mean that much just makes it more special. Thank you." His face was beaming at her words, cheeks pink but mostly hidden by the shadowed area of the restaurant. She liked the gift! So far so good, now to just-

"Hello! Are you both ready to order or do you still need a few minutes?" The sentimental moment was interrupted by their waiter who had no idea what he walked in on. It wasn't lost on Ryuko though, who politely asked the waiter for some more time. Kirishima cleared his throat ready to talk when she spoke up first.

"Eijirou I love you." He stopped. Their hands were still locked on top of the table. His face felt very hot, he could feel the blood in his veins like warm water under his skin, his ears and cheeks dusted pink from the confession that…did he hear right?! He looked at her dumbstruck. She'd beat him to it?! Looking across the table her own eyes were wide at her own words as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"I think…I think I have for a while. I just needed a push. Ei you're truly a wonderful, kind, and thoughtful person. You've helped me out more than people I've known for a long time. I trust you. And I'm happy to have you by my side." Tears prickled at the edge of her vision as she confessed. He suddenly got up from his chair and walked over with tearfully determined look on his face. She was suddenly surrounded by his strong arms around her shoulders. He sniffed, spiky head buried in her neck.

"That was…such a manly confession! I love you too!" She was stiff in his arms; he loved her back? He wanted her like she wanted him? She was still holding onto the bright red stuffed dragon in her hands that were shaking slightly now.

"Wh- you do?!" He pulled away, manly tears in his eyes with the goofiest beaming smile she'd seen yet.

"Hell yeah I do! I was about to say it but you beat me to it. Holy shit I feel amazing right now. I love you haha!" Some people at nearby tables were looking at them awkwardly now but neither of them cared. He grabbed her by the cheeks and smashed his lips against hers nearly knocking her out of her chair. It was full of passion and heat and energy and she could have remained like that forever. Eventually he pulled away looking like he needed a gulp of air, face still beaming. "Wow. OK! That was intense. Uh.." He was just now realizing that he was kneeling on the floor of a nice restaurant, his girlfriend's cheeks smooshed between his hands. Before he could move away to get back to his seat, she reached up and grabbed the back of his head to pull him in for one more kiss. This one was gentle and felt like a breeze was filling up his chest as their lips brushed.

"I love you, Eijiro. It feels good to finally say it."

"Yeah it does. Ok, all that confessing made me REALLY hungry now," he said with a laugh, finally standing up and sitting back down in his seat with a content sigh. They were both coming down from the high of confessing their feelings to each other in a crowded restaurant during a romantic dinner. The waiter eventually came back and they ordered, Kirishima going for a nice rare steak.

"Oh my god this is so good, it melts in my mouth like butter…" Kirishima was nearly in tears over the delicious steak. Bakugou's cooking was good, sure, but it honestly couldn't compare. "Thank you for dinner, next time is my treat."

"Sure, no problem." Dinner continued on without incident. Once the wine bottle was empty and they shared one of those extra large pieces of chocolate cake that restaurants love to serve, they paid and left, Ryuko stuffing the red dragon back into the gift bag for safe keeping.

Kirishima was even more affectionate than normal on the way to the train station, holding hands and kissing her on top of the head every couple of minutes. This influx of open affection was almost overwhelming, but she could get used to it. By the time they arrived at the station the distant rolls of thunder could be heard.

"Dammit…I checked the weather yesterday, it wasn't supposed to rain. Maybe we can make it before it starts?"

"It'll be fine. If not we can make a run for it, your apartment isn't too far." Walking onto the train they sat down in a couple of empty seats, Ryuko leaning back and resting her head on Kirishima's shoulder. "What do you wanna do tomorrow? Any plans?"

"Mmm, sleep in. Be lazy. Cuddle. You know, the important things." Kirishima smiled as she took the stuffed dragon out of the bag to examine again.

"Are you going to name it?"

"I gave it a name as soon as I took it out of the bag. Lil Kiri. What else would I name it?"

He smiled that adorable goofy smile of his. "Lil Kiri, huh? Yeah, I think that fits!" He kissed the top of her head again. "I'm glad you like it. It's not much but-"

"Dork, of course I like it. And I'd rather have a thoughtful gift than an expensive one any day. I had an ex in highschool give me a coupon for a makeover…which felt like some underlying message that he thought I needed one. He was confused as to why I was kind of mad," she said, rolling her eyes. "It was a generic gift that didn't have any consideration behind it, but this precious bundle right here?" She shoved the toy in Kirishima's face. "Great and wonderful and from you. It's a perfect gift."

"A makeover…? I'm sure I've given lame gifts before but that is pretty bad. And you're beautiful no matter what, I wouldn't change a thing." His beaming smile made her blush at the compliment.

Eventually the train stopped and to their dismay it had indeed started raining. Neither of them had an umbrella.

"I'm tempted to just hail a cab."

"It's just a few blocks, think you can make it through a little water or will you melt?" Kirishima gave a challenging smile, and she was no coward. Of course she wasn't scared of water!

"I'm not that much of a witch…fine, OK hold on." Balancing on his shoulder, she took off her heels to avoid tripping if they were going to actually run through the rain.

"Get your keys out now so we can just run in the door." She nodded, taking her keyring with her apartment key out of her purse. "OK ready?" Kirishima held her hand tightly, giving a thumbs up. She nodded. "Go!" He was off, dragging her behind him as they jogged through the rain. Unfortunately they had to stop at a crosswalk for some cars to pass, Ryuko holding the gift bag close to her chest in an attempt to avoid getting Lil Kiri wet.

"Oh my god why are there so many cars?"

"Almost…almo- GO!" As soon as the crosswalk signal turned they sped through rain, finally reaching Ryuko's front door. She fumbled with the keys as Kirishima was practically pushing her against the door in an attempt to get in faster. Finally the locked clicked and they nearly tripped inside before closing the door.

"God…dammit…" despite them both being soaked and dripping water onto the floor they laughed at the antics of it all. "Stay here, let me get some towels." Setting down her shoes and the gift bag she walked down the hallway, trying to avoid getting the floor soaked but to little avail. Kirishima undid his tie and ran a hair through his limp hair - too bad they didn't make waterproof hair gel. A dry towel hit him in the face as he was taking off his shoes.

"OK floppy-hair, what do you wanna do now?" she asked, running a towel over her own wet hair. Kirishima peeked out from under his towel and bit his lip. Her skin was shiny from rain water, the light from the hallway highlighting the curves of her legs, arms, chest…he had a bold idea.

"I have a suggestion."

"Hit me."

"I can take you up on that massage offer now. If you want." She tossed the towel off her hair and around her neck, damp tendrils falling into her face. "We have to…dry our clothes anyway." He could see the gears turning in her head as she stared at him with curious eyes.

"Ok," she said with the very smallest hint of a smirk. "Toss me your clothes and I'll hang them up," she practically demanded, open palm outstretched towards him.

"Uh, right here?" He was still standing by the front door.

"You're not walking around dripping water everywhere." She was practically asking him to strip in her living room. Now he was feeling a bit nervous as she looked at him expectantly. But why not have fun with the situation, then?

"OK, if you insist." He started to slowly undo the buttons on his shirt, looking at her with half-lidded eyes and feigned innocence. Handing her his wet shirt he then slipped off his undershirt in one fluid motion, his chest and stomach reflecting the sheen left over from his damp clothes. As she took that too he gauged her reaction, eyes flitting between his face and his body. She swallowed hard as he undid his belt, sliding it out of the belt loops with deft hands. He reached into his pants pocket to pull out his wallet, keys and- oh shit. The condoms. He maneuvered things so they were hidden between the palm of his hand and his wallet, hoping she didn't notice the small look of hesitation. Managing to undo his pants with one hand, he wiggled out of the wet heavy fabric; he didn't miss how she was obviously staring at his backside. The pants finally fell to the floor leaving him only in his boxers. These did not have puppies on them.

She nearly snatched the pants out of his hands, cheeks flushed as she turned around and headed back to the bathroom. Mission FLUSTERED was a success.

"Well that plan worked out alright…but where do I…?" He set his wallet and keys down on the kitchen table, towel draped around his shoulders as he tossed his damp socks down into his shoes. He was at a loss for the condoms in his hand. Should he just put them in her bedroom…? Would that be too forward? Obvious? He just stripped off his wet clothes as she watched so…?

While she was busy in the bathroom he silently made his way to her bedroom, setting them down on the bedside table before sitting down on her bed. Ghost came in silently, making his way onto Kirishima's lap like he always did. The purring cat was a distraction until Ryuko walked in. She was still fully clothed.

"Your turn!" She stammered for a second before realizing what he meant. They were on unequal ground, and he wanted to level out the field. Fine, two can play this game. She wasn't going to back out this time. She wasn't afraid.

"Alright…but I might need some help." Her voice was laced with something that made Kirishima's toes curl as she walked towards him and basically sat in his lap between his legs, back to his front, forcing Ghost out of the way and off to the side. "I can't reach the zipper."

This was a lie, she could reach the zipper just fine.

He leaned forward and kissed the nape of her neck, his hands slowly tugging the back zipper down on her dress where it ended at her lower back. He saw a burst of color and line as the dress fell open, the tattoo on her back making itself visible for the first time.

He continued to kiss her neck and upper back, feeling her shiver underneath his lips as his hands slowly came up to push the straps down over her arms, the dress falling away from her torso. He let out a small gasp at the sight as he backed away. The tattoo was beautiful. A phoenix bursting from a brightly burning fire and flying as if to escape from one moment in time and end up in a hundred others. It reached from her shoulder blades down to the small of her back. He traced the lines with his fingers, jumping over the bra strap cutting the design in half. Her skin was soft and sticky from rain under his hands. She gripped his thighs, kneading the muscles in time with her breathing. He leaned forward and kissed the base of her neck again, glad for her short hair and the accessibility it gave him.

"I love you. You're beautiful." She made to stand up and he watched the rest of the dress fall away to the floor.

"Fuck…ing hell." This time he couldn't help but stare at the very pleasant looking ass that now greeted his eyes, cheeky black lace panties curving around it in a very appealing way. She turned her head over her shoulder to look at his obviously flustered face with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Like what you see? Don't start a game if you can't keep up." She turned around to face him now, arms crossed and giving him that lioness stare that made his mouth go dry. A small black gem dangled from her belly button, matching the rest of her black underwear. Her breasts were about average size but they looked round soft, like they would fit in his hands nicely. Her hips were wide and her thighs looked strong and…grippable.

"H-have I told you…that you're incredibly hot?" he muttered. She licked her lips.

"Yeah, you have. Now lay on your stomach." He blinked, finally tearing his eyes away from her body to look up and point at himself.

"Me?"

She nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, you. I'll give you one first since you said you've never given one before. Then we can switch. Deal?" She leaned forward, sultry eyes staring into his own. Before she could pull away he quickly captured her lips with his. Their mouths molded together easily, hot breaths and saliva mixing with the faintest hint of sake. She pulled away, a string of spit connecting their mouths as she gently pushed on his chest, letting him fall back onto her bed.

He flipped over, sandwiching a pillow between his head and arms. He gave a sly smile as he wiggled hit butt in the air ever so slightly.

"Don't tempt me."

"To what? Maybe I want whatever you're offering." He did not stop the wiggling, suppressing a knowing laugh into the pillow.

She scoffed, "stay there, let me hang this up first." His eyes followed her around the room as she went into her closet to grab a hanger, picking up the wet dress off the floor and heading into the bathroom. As the saying went, he hated to see her go but he loved to watch her leave…

She came back and wasted no time, climbing up on the bed and straddling his upper thighs, making him grunt at the sudden weight before she palmed his ass in her hands and squeezed.

"Wh- hey?!" He did not expect her to actually do it, cheeks flaming with embarrassment and _something else_ as she massaged his booty through his boxers. "So I take it you like my butt, then?" She could feel him squirming around underneath her as Ryuko ran her fingers experimentally underneath the elastic of his waist band.

"Butts and thighs are near the top of the list of things I like. I mean I like everything I've seen so far but those are my weakness, honestly."

"So you DO have a weakn-" He was cut off by his own laughter, fingers trailing daintily along his waistline.

"Oh ho, did I finally find a ticklish spot?" She continued to run her fingers softly under the stretchy fabric, his shifting becoming more obvious until he finally emerged from the pillow, face red from laughing.

"OK yes I'm ticklish there happy?" She grinned innocently, hands in the air in mock submission.

"Yes, actually. OK so what was I…oh yeah, massage." She scooted forward so she sat on the small of his back, her legs on either side of him. His back was an impressive map of muscle from his neck down to his hips. She placed her hands on his shoulders, gently tracing her fingers down his back and spine. She could feel him shudder. Leaning forward on her hands she came up close to his ear. "I love you," she whispered, barely audible under the tapping of the rain outside.

His head shifted so he could look at her from the pillow, red eyes smoldering and glistening. "I know." She kissed his cheek as her hands went back to his shoulders, kneading the muscles under his skin. His eyes fluttered close, a low hum in his throat as he gave in to her touch. After a while of methodical touches - sensual under the guise of easing tension - it almost looked like he was drifting off.

"Are you asleep?" she asked, hands pausing in their movements. A red eye snapped open as he shifted under her, nearly causing her to lose balance as he flipped into his back so she was now straddling his stomach.

"Not a chance, but it was very relaxing." He smiled up at her, enjoying the view of his girlfriend hovering over him. One hand was on her hip, the other trailed gently up her stomach. "So now that I have some first-hand experience, do you want one?" Her hand came up to her chin as if thinking of an answer, her hips moving back forth under his touch. It was incredibly difficult to keep focus on her face when the shifting movements were increasingly hypnotizing, his mind considering how it would feel on his-

"Yeah, I do. Show me what you learned." She laughed as he suddenly flipped their positions, him now on top and her laying on the bed. Never taking her eyes off him she turned face-down, head resting on the pillow.

"What I learned, hm?" He scooted back to the same position she started in, thighs beneath him and supple ass ripe for grabbing. Running a hand through his still damp hair and biting his lip, he reached down and hooked his thumbs under each cheek and squeezed, eliciting a gasp from the pillow.

"I KNEW it, you are such an ass man." He laughed as he continued to explore her backside with his hands.

"I never denied it, but honestly I like all of you. But not gonna lie you have like…" he gave it another squeeze. "A very nice ass." He'd been daydreaming of this for a while, so finally getting to touch her like this was very invigorating. His imagination didn't even come close to the real thing…and they were just getting started.

"Thank all the squats I've been doing, that's how you get a nice booty." He gave it one last squeeze - and a very small slap - before scooting forward atop her lower back. The tattoo was fully visible now, running his hands from her hips up to her shoulders. But something was in the way. He leaned forward and kissed the nape of her neck just below her hairline. "Can I undo this?" A finger hooked under the band of her bra and snapped it back gently. "It's ah, in the way."

She nodded. "Yeah, just unhook it." He kissed her neck again before fiddling his hands around the clasp. He could remember how to do this, right? It was just a…

"Dammit..why are these things so – oh, there we go." Finally getting hooks undone, he lets the straps fall to the side, exposing her back fully now.

"Know that if you break any of my underwear you have to buy me new ones."

"I'm not gonna break anything…but if I get to pick stuff out for you in the future I wouldn't object," he said with a breathy laugh. His hands were strong and kneaded into her skin effortlessly. His tongue made its way under her ear, knuckles kneading circles into her muscles. She let out a small moan into the pillow and his hands stopped.

"O-oh…I'm guessing I'm doing something right then hm?" He smiled into her skin, hands continuing to switch between hard and soft touches, listening for any more suggestive noises. He wanted to please her, to make her feel good, to feel completely at ease and comfortable being exposed to him. He wanted to be closer.

His hands reached up to hers buried under the pillow, finding her fingers and lacing them with his as his mouth continued to work at her neck. He could feel the hitches in her breath as his tongue left behind wet kisses. She stretched her palms flat against the bedsheets and squeezed his fingers.

"Eijiro…" Her words were soft, still muffled by the pillow. Hearing his name on her lips sent shivers down his spine. "Can you turn out the light?"

"Do you not want me to see you?"

"The fluorescent bulbs in this room don't exactly make for great mood lighting. You can turn on the lamp over there," she said, eyes pointing to the bookshelf at the end of the bed. He reluctantly got up from the bed and turned out the main light, the tightness of his boxers feeling incredibly restrictive as he stood up. As he switched on the lamp and turned towards the bed, he stopped. She was sitting on the edge of the bed now, bra now discarded on the floor, an arm draped around her breasts. He walked slowly back to her, aware that her eyes flitted briefly to his bulging underwear before returning to his face, a look of want and acceptance burning under heavily lidded eyes.

He leaned forward onto the bed, hands behind her hips as their lips met. The slow movements and sultry touches of the past hour were traded out in favor of a kiss filled with passion. Her tongue prodded into his mouth, exploring the hot wet opening where soft 'I love you's' fell into the air. A hand came up to cup hers, slowly pulling it away from her chest leaving her bare. A soft moan hit his lips, cheeks flush and eyes closed, touch and taste and sound and smell attacking the senses as her hands came up to wrap around his neck, fingers working through the dyed red locks. Everything felt tight, chest constricted and breath shallow and low. She gasped as a finger brushed against her nipple, exploring the rarely exposed skin.

"Is this ok?" Even now he was still asking for permission, to make sure she wanted to move forward.

She nodded. She wanted it, she wanted him, she wanted so much in this moment. He palmed her breast gently, feeling the soft skin give under his touch before rolling her nipple between two fingers as he kissed down her neck and under her chin. A hand left his hair to trace lines down his chest, her own fingers rubbing circles around his nipple. He gave a small nip at her neck with his teeth. She pinched it experimentally, and he bit down harder eliciting a gasp from her throat. Eventually her hand trailed down to the hem of his boxers, erection stiff and constrained by the fabric. She whispered into his ear.

"Lay down on the bed." His breath hitched as he maneuvered around her, laying back on the comforter. A small bubble of self-conscious doubt hit the pit of his stomach knowing what was about to happen. It was his turn to feel vulnerable as she crawled up his body, hovering above his face. Leaning down to meet his lips her hands traced from his collar bones down his stomach as she slowly kissed her way down. She paused at his chest, hot breath lingering around one of his nipples, remembering how he reacted to the touch moments ago. The lick was experimental, but the hand that found it's way into her tangled damp hair told her to continue. Chest heaving slowly, she looked up at him, eyes closed head turned to the side, lips pressed together tightly - she took note of the things he seemed to like. Eventually she abandoned his chest, continuing her way down, wet kisses trailing behind. Soon enough she was settled between his legs.

"You feel tense…do you need another massage?" She was teasing him and he knew it, letting out a breathy chuckle.

"Yeah I do actually, but I don't think I'll be quite as relaxed as before." Her fingers traced around the seams circling his strong thighs and defined hips but meticulously avoided where he wanted to be touched, _needed_ to be touched at this point. It was painfully erotic being so aroused while at the mercy of someone else's touch - or lack of touch.

"Let me ask you something, first."

"Mmm ok."

"If you come, how long will it take you to get hard again? Because I want to taste you." His face flared up at the question more than the fact that her hand was like a gentle breeze brushing against his contained erection.

He swallowed hard before answering. "Uhm…oh fuck. At this rate? Wouldn't take me long, honestly," he tried laughing with an air of anxiousness before a soft moan erupted from his throat as she grabbed him through his boxers. His hand came up to cover his mouth. He was touch-starved; he honestly wouldn't last more than a few minutes if her hand and mouth felt even a fraction as good as he imagined they did on his bare skin.

"Someone's sensitive…good. But I want to hear you, I want to hear how good I make you feel." He shivered under her touch, fingers massaging into the joints where his legs met his pelvis, ghosting over the twitching member still hidden by clingy fabric. One forearm was draped across his eyes leaving his mouth open - like she wanted - the other fisting wrinkles into the comforter with twitching fingers. She hooked her thumbs under the hem of his boxers, the fabric gliding down agonizingly slowly before Kirishima's leg twitched and back arched, hand returning to his mouth. Was that a laugh?

"Oh my god, have I found another ticklish spot? Right here? You're doomed at this rate…" He shook his head, eyes closed tightly as she finally unleashed his erection, the throbbing muscle popping up into the air released from confinement. They both gasped but for different reasons.

The rush of cool air hitting him was jarring and made him gasp, suddenly so exposed and open to her. She wasn't even touching him but every small movement felt amplified like a jolt of electricity running from the base of his spine to his toes.

"Mm Ei…you have a very nice looking cock. It's incredibly handsome." She had him wrapped around every single finger with bold statements laced with subtle body-worship and mischief, but he wasn't about to complain - it was incredibly arousing to be at the mercy of his partner.

"Wh…that's a first." He opened his eyes and looked down at her for the first time. The tip of his cock was shiny with precum, bobbing in the air and she was just…staring at it hungrily, lips wet from her tongue running around her mouth. She wanted it - she wanted HIM - and that made him release a shuddering breath, her wet eyes finally meeting his.

"It is though. Also, I finally know your natural hair color." His cheeks lit up as she ran a finger through the tuft of black pubes sitting at the base of his erection. "I like the red though, personally."

"P-please…" It was becoming unbearable, the teasing. He needed to be touched. She was still looking at him unwavering.

"Please what? Tell me what you want." He threw his head back, closing his eyes at the embarrassment of her asking him to voice his desire so openly. But he was already exposed, laid bare, no reason to feel shame.

"I want…please t-touch me. Touch my cock." As soon as the words left his mouth, she complied. One hand cupped his shaft slowly, fingers familiarizing themselves with his his shape, his length, the slight curve upwards. Her thumb ghosted over the tip slick with precum, rubbing in circles, the light from the lamp causing it to glisten across the silhouette. His chest moved up and down in short breaths, mouth open as lewd noises flitted into the air from every stroke and touch she gave him. Eventually her tongue moved forward to lick from the base to the tip agonizingly slowly. His toes curled, a hand above his head gripping the bed sheet while the other opened and closed beside him, fingers finding nothing to hold on to. Her tongue felt so good, the wet muscle moving around like a dancer. A breathy moan escaped as her mouth continued to explore his skin, warm and wet from bloodflow and saliva. Eventually she hooked her fingers around his waistband, prompting him to lift up off the bed enough to slide his boxers to the ground.

Her mouth seemed honed and precise, eyes watching his movements to judge what elicited the best reaction. He let out a string of suppressed curses as she finally took him into her mouth, one hand gently massaging his balls as her head sunk down nearly taking him all in.

"F-fuck…holy shit ha-ah…." His breaths came in pants as she moved her mouth faster, lapping at his member like a popsicle on a scorching day. Everything was hot, he could feel it in the base of his spine. She raised up, the cool air hitting his cock slick with saliva, a trail of spit linking his head and her mouth. Smirking at the lewd noises filling her ears she dove back down, his head hitting the back of her throat as she swallowed, the muscles of her throat making him twitch inside her mouth. The backs of his knees were sweaty and his back was sticking to the bedsheets. The pressure in his lower half was building to near crescendo. His hand, still grasping at the air near his hip suddenly felt fingers interlock. He squeezed.

"I'm..oh god f-fuck so close please…"

"Eijiro…" his name dripped from her busy mouth like nectar. Her free arm wrapped under one of his legs, lifting it to her shoulder and holding him steady as she moved faster, his voice rising higher. He couldn't stay still, attempting to buck under her touch but she kept him grounded and sturdy.

"I'm…fuck FUCK YES FAAH-HA-" Coherent thought flew out the window as a low string of moans and whines fell from his open mouth as he came, the stagnant air in the room broken as he let loose from his throat. His back arched off the bed, toes curling as his body tensed. Her mouth was filled with him as she attempted to swallow it all but had to come up for air. Cum drizzled down his cock as she let go with a 'POP', her mouth looking thoroughly used and slippery. His hand never left hers, fingers gripping on like he never wanted to let go.

It took a minute for their breathing to normalize as she licked the cum from her mouth. It was bitter and slightly salty but wasn't particularly bad tasting; she could get used to it, or start feeding him pineapple. Kissing the inside of his thigh she slowly unhinged it from her shoulder, both sticky from the skin-to-skin contact. Kirishima let out a long contented sigh as his legs fell to the side, cheeks ruddy and a smile on his face.

"Wow, you are…so good at that. It felt amazing," he said, running a hand through his hair before finally sitting up, looking down at the mess in his lap and his girlfriend leaning over on the bed, head resting on her arms. "Uh, hopefully you liked it? But I know sucking dick isn't exactly glamorous." He looked almost apologetic.

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to do it. I liked having you in my mouth, at my mercy," she said with a wink. He could get used to this slightly possessive side of her oozing with confidence. It was pretty hot.

"Let me uh, clean up real quick. Be right back." Standing up from the bed too fast his legs wobbled slightly, he kissed the top of her head before making his way to the bathroom and closing the door.

"Ooh my god fuck that was so hot please let me not screw this up," Kirishima whispered to himself as he washed the dried cum and saliva from his skin. Meanwhile, Ryuko sat up from the floor and sat down on the bed, leaning back against the pillows and headboard. The whole experience was exciting seeing him squirm and call out for her touch, and she was glad to see she wasn't too rusty in her experience with oral sex. He didn't make her feel like it was an obligation, it was optional, but she wanted to do it anyway and he seemed more than pleased. Now however she felt her own need growing between her legs, wondering if what he said several weeks ago was true. She looked over to the side and noticed a couple of unopened condom wrappers that weren't hers sitting on the table. "Sly motherfucker…we'll definitely use em this time…"

After a minute he came out of the bathroom and shut the bedroom door behind him, looking a little more refreshed. She couldn't help but stare at the statuesque man in her bedroom, completely nude and chiseled from stone; he still looked soft, though. A welcome juxtaposition. He cocked a hip and bit his lip as he watched her stare at him with literal bedroom eyes. "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah. Have I told you that you're incredibly sexy?" she said, mirroring his own words which made him laugh in a way that was somehow extremely hot? Why was laughing hot? She didn't know and didn't care, it just WAS coming from him. "So, is it true then?"

"Hm, what's true?" He made his way in some knowingly sultry gait to the bed and sat on the edge next to her, a hand rubbing circles into her hip.

"That you give as good as you get. That's what you said, right?" His mouth hung open, his cheeks a tinge of pink as he -indeed- remembered that he'd said that while they were on the couch weeks earlier. He nodded, never taking his red eyes off hers and pushing his nerves down. He wanted to make her feel good, to show that he truly thought she was beautiful, and that he loved her inside and out.

"I did say that. Let me prove that I'm true to my word," he said, voice becoming low. Making his way back onto the bed, he settled himself between her legs, hovering like some flustered angel in her vision before lowering just inches from her face. His hair was slightly damp from the rain and it STILL looked good. Kirishima made to dip down to her mouth but slid to the side at the last second, smiling into the skin of her neck before giving proper retaliation - he licked her from collar bone to ear. It was only fair, right? The gasp he felt reverberate against his mouth spurred him on. He continued to attack her neck and shoulder, switching between gentle kisses and nibbling with his teeth while his hands ghosted over her torso, down her sternum and draping to the sides like water attracted and pulled down atop the curves of the human body by gravity.

Her arms came up to tangle around his neck and hair while one of his hands slid a thumb under the crease of her breast, feeling the soft weight. Distracting though his mouth on her neck was, his fingers gently pinched her nipples causing her nails to scrape down his back ever so gently. He finally made his way to her mouth where he eagerly swallowed her moans, his hands still exploring the curves of her breasts. He cupped them like they belonged in his palms before leaving her mouth, open and still wanting, eyes glazed and hazy.

"I love you," he said diving in for one more passionate kiss before working his way downwards, kissing her chin, her jaw, her neck, her collar bones, her sternum. His hands were now busy with her hips and thighs, loving how she molded under his fingers. His cock – starting to become hard again – was bobbing between their bodies. Eventually his hands made their way to her panties, the last bit of clothing separating her from complete exposure. She shivered under his touch, mouth and hands working simultaneously. Her own hands were wrapped up in his hair, one of them still scraping against his shoulders as he teased the elastic around the black fabric. His mouth tugged at her nipple, rolling it gently between his teeth and lips. He was touching everywhere except the growing wet heat between her legs, a teasing taste of her own game. He played his part well.

"Eijiro…" she whined as he smiled up at her with heavily lidded eyes, his tongue licked in circles around her hard nipple. His thumb gently ran down her underwear from waistband to where they met the bed sheets, pressing slightly when he felt the fabric damp and pliable.

"Mmm…Ryu you're so wet I can feel it before I even touch you. And you want me to touch you, right?" His smiles were almost always happy and full of energy, but the one he gave her now as he looked up from his place at her chest was lustful and took her breath away. Before she could answer his thumb pressed firmly where her panties were soaked, rubbing in small circles. He didn't take his eyes off her as her eyes fluttered close, bottom lip between her teeth.

"Mmm yes, please…I want your hands on me, in me…" His cock twitched at her words as a finger gently slid between her slick skin and sticky fabric, immediately coated in her wetness like dipping into a pool of honey. The skin-to-skin contact made her suck in a breath, back arching off the sheet damp from sweat.

A single touch made her throw her head back and bite back a moan as he found that small bundle of nerves, rubbing slow circles around her clit. Her fingers gripped at his hair but didn't pull. His mouth shuddered against her chest. After a minute of exploration he pulled his fingers back, a whine escaping her lips at the lack of contact. He raised back up to hover over her, his hand coming up to show her the stringy wetness before popping a finger into his mouth and licking it like someone desperate for a drink of water. His smoldering eyes never left hers.

Licking his lips, his hand hovered just above her mouth. "You taste so good…" She opened up, tongue falling out wanting to lap up her own arousal. He obliged, finger slipping into the heat of her mouth. Her tongue wrapped around it not unlike his cock, a breathy moan trying to escape him as she licked his finger clean. Easing it out slowly until cool air hit his wet fingers, he couldn't help but dive in for a kiss, her juices mixing with her saliva. Eager hands found her panties, easing her hips off to bed and maneuvering her legs to toss the black fabric to the side. There was nothing between them now but sweaty heaving skin and muscle and desire.

Unrestricted his hand returned to her wetness, thumb rubbing her clit, the others dipping into the shallow pool of warm wetness that was spilling down the curve of her ass. She moaned deeply into his mouth, teeth pulling at his lips, hot breath mixing as one, tongues fighting for dominance. Her hands came up to his shoulders and pushed him back slightly, breathless and eyes full of lust.

"Ok, I gotta tell you something." His hands stopped.

"What?" he asked, panting onto her skin. "Something wrong?" She shook her head.

"No, just a warning. Uh, I'm a screamer. Like, kinda fucking loud. But don't stop unless I tell you to stop, OK?" His mouth hung open before splitting into a grin that reached his eyes, a light laugh filing the room.

"Thanks for the heads up. Seems my goal is to make you scream, then." With a smirk his mouth attacked hers with new vigor, fingers working faster, his other hand lifting up her hips to grab her ass.

The room was filled with heavy pants and moans and the sound of skin against wet flesh. A finger prodded gently at her entrance before pushing in slightly. She could feel every movement, every centimeter that eased into her, his thumb still rubbing the small bundle of swollen nerves. One of her hands reached down between them and found his bobbing member resting between their torsos, massaging it gently making him gasp at the touch. Her hips bucked in his hand, pushing him farther in. It was tight and hot and wet and he reveled in how it felt, anticipating wrapping his now fully-erect member inside soon.

"F-fuck, Eijiro, fuck it feels s-so good…I'm so close…" She threw her head back, hand clawing at his shoulders, his mouth peppering her neck with bites. Moans and sporadic pants dripped from her mouth until his finger bottomed inside her, his knuckles hitting her lips. He slipped in a second finger, tight and warm inside her. His hand pumped in and out of her faster, his thumb rubbing her clit in small quick circles. But what he was looking for, his fingers exploring, he curved them up until -

"Ha-ah oh fuckking shit…Eijiro f-FuuuUUCK!" Her voice pitched high, body convulsing as she came onto his hand, her walls tightening around his digits, the combination of rhythmic fingers hitting the perfect spots inside and out in just the right way becoming overwhelming. Back arched, Kirishima's mouth wrapped around her own and swallowed the loud moans that echoed in the room.

Her breath was ragged as his hand slowed, eventually slipping out, hand covered in her sticky wetness as she came down from the orgasm. She immediately felt empty and wanted more, more of him inside her. He kissed her until the gasps that filled her lungs became manageable. Pulling away to look into her eyes, they were still filled with primal want and bursting with what he would only describe as unfettered love.

"I love you…" she whispered. "I want…"

"Me too." He reached over and grabbed one of the condoms, sitting back and tearing off the wrapper and rolling it over his sensitive cock with shaky hands.

"Can I be on top?" she asked before he leaned back down. He smiled down at her before flipping their positions again, him on his back and her straddling his hips. She looked beautiful, chest heaving and heavily-lidded eyes staring into his ruby ones. She wanted him – just him. To her he was extraordinary, and that made his heart swell.

"Ready?" he asked, making absolutely sure this was what she wanted. She nodded, dipping down and wrapping his mouth around hers as he lined up his cock to her entrance. A hand found its way into his, fingers intertwining tightly before she slowly lowered herself onto him, her other hand on his chest for stability. He closed his eyes, toes curling and thighs tensing as he was completely enveloped inside her, tight and incredibly warm wetness coating both of them. She leaned forward and moaned into his mouth, hitting his hips with her quivering thighs. His eyes rolled back in his head, face flush, his free hand gripping her hip like he was about to fall into an abyss.

"O-oh god you feel amazing, its perfect.." Before he could even adjust to the overwhelming sensation she started rocking her hips back and forth, his other hand gripping tighter keep himself from floating away. It had been so long since she'd felt so intimately close with someone that the physical desire to please and be pleasured in return was like an addiction that needed an immediate fix.

She tried to form words but couldn't, the sensation of his cock inside her clouding her mind from any thoughts other than _move, don't stop, just feel._ He rocked his hips under hers as she slowly rolled her own hips, feeling all of him inside her. Whines and moans echoed against his skin as she buried her head in the crook of his neck, lifting up until he was almost free of her, the tip of his cock teasing her entrance…before she plunged back down in one quick motion. She felt the reverberation of his gasp in her chest, their bodies flush against each other.

"Ah f-fuck…I love you I love you.." he whispered brokenly against her ear like ambrosia as she continued to pump up and down, side to side wanting to feel him inside her from every direction. Eventually she lifted up, capturing his mouth once more with hers, tongues eager and alive. He gently pushed her up until she was sitting back on his thighs, one hand still intertwined with his and the other on his sweaty torso for stability, throwing her head up to the ceiling at the angle change. His free hand found her clit massaging into his pelvis, his thumb working feverishly, his other hand sweaty from the constant contact of her palm against his.

"Oh god it feels so good, you feel s-so good…" Her thighs gripped his sides shakily feeling his entire length inside her. She started to pick up the pace, rocking back and forth faster, moaning at each new thrust as he bucked his hips in time with hers. The sound of sticky skin slapping against skin filled the room. It was lewd and obscene but they didn't care, only this moment of intensity and joined pleasure occupied their thoughts.

Her moans picked up as the tempo increased, harder thrusts and bolder movements, breasts bouncing in the light of the single lamp behind him. He committed every gesture, every overwhelming sensation to memory while trying to last as long as possible. It was getting increasingly difficult.

"Ei I'm…mmhm.." He rocked back and forth on the bed, a slight creaking heard underneath every other noise and sound as she rode him hard and fast. "FUCK!" The hand that stabilized under his torso flew to her mouth, a knuckle in her teeth to stifle the shaking moan that filled the room, her fingers squeezing his hand harder for stability and reassurance. Her thighs quivered and shook, breaths shallow and quick as she came, clenching around him like a vice, her muscles moving around his cock as she rode out the orgasm. But before she could catch her breath his arms were around her, kissing her chest before flipping their positions again. He kissed her roughly but it held only adoration as he positioned her knees over his arms before thrusting into her.

He was strong, and it showed as his hips created a quick rhythm. His hands gripped the sheets around her chest tightly, his body sticky with sweat as her arms wrapped around his neck holding on for dear life. Everything was even more overwhelming than before, his cock buried deep inside even tighter and wetter from her orgasm, muscles almost vibrating against him. He was nearly as vocal as she was, unable to hold back grunts and pants as his hips moved back and forth like a pendulum slapping against her thighs. It felt so good, their bodies molded as one, arms and legs wrapped in each other.

There, right there. The right angle, knees up near her head, was all it took for her to come undone again, shutting her eyes tightly and biting her lip in a frail attempt to stifle the volume of her scream, his name dripping from her mouth without control, back arching up underneath him. She clenched around him, her orgasm driving him over the edge as he buried his face in her thigh riding out his own orgasm as they came together.

Everything was suddenly too quiet, the rain outside now a drizzle. They caught their breaths, coming down from the high of physical pleasure. Their bodies quivered, eyes closed and panting. Her fingers wrapped in his hair, chest still heaving as he slowly pulled out of her with a grunt. She immediately missed the sensation of him inside her, like that was where he was supposed to be.

"Holy shit…" he said with a breathy laugh still against her thigh. "You're so amazing. T-that was so good…was it-" he looked at her with glistening eyes that looked like rose-colored stars, but she answered before he finished the sentence knowing what he was going to ask.

"Yes. It was perfect. You're perfect. I love you…" He shook his head with an embarrassed smile, letting her legs fall to the side gently before collapsing on top of her. "Fuck you're heavy," she grunted out, kissing the side of his head.

"Heavy with…love?" He smirked into her neck, peppering her skin with light kisses. Fingers rubbed circles into his back, his legs legs intertwining with hers.

"Was that better than phone sex?" The question caught him off guard as he hid his face in the crook of her arm in an attempt to conceal his ruddy cheeks.

"Literally could not have imagined anything better than that. Over the phone is garbage compared to the real thing. You're somehow cute and _sexy_ and powerful at the same time, all the noises you make…the lewd faces…" his fingers tickled her sides, her thighs clamping around his torso as she laughed.

"I agree, batteries don't compare. We should take a shower, probably." He groaned, not wanting to get up from using his girlfriend as a pillow…wait, did she say shower?

"That is a great, wonderful idea." He kissed her before sitting up on wobbly legs, his skin sticking to the sheets. "Be right back." She giggled as he stumbled off the bed and into the bathroom, eyes following the slight jiggle of his ass on the way out.

"Damn…that man is a walking fucking sculpture." Legs swung off the bed before she walked gingerly towards the kitchen for a cold glass of water. Heat still lingered between her thighs, his intense movements energizing muscles that had not been properly stimulated in a while. The water was unusually refreshing as she downed most of the glass in one gulp, not realizing how thirsty she really was. Her eyes wandered to the gift bag on the counter. Glass in hand, she took the dragon out of the bag to admire it again, giving it a little boop on the nose for good measure.

"Where'd you go?" she heard him call from the hallway.

"Kitchen. Want some ice water?"

"Shit, yes that sounds great." He walked in from the hallway, condom now removed, but stopped as she reached for another glass in the cabinet. "You look…so good." Even now after all they'd done a tinge of pink hit his cheeks as he looked at the woman he loved in front of him, naked and beautiful and real. She wiggled her ass in his direction and he had to look away. "That is a quick way to get me worked up again."

"I'll keep that in mind." He walked up behind her, resting his head on her shoulder his hands on her hips as she filled the glass with water. She hummed against his chest. "Eijiro."

"Hm?"

"I…this. Tonight, right now. All of it. There wasn't a single moment I would replace for anything." He turned her around to look into her eyes. They were pools as deep as the ocean, and if he wasn't grounded she could swallow him whole. He brought his lips to hers in something equally deep and delicate. Words ghosted over her.

"You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that. I'm glad that you're comfortable with me, that you trust me, that you want me to stay." A life led without regret. She shivered against his hands. "The shower is going," he said softly, grabbing his glass of water and leading her to her own bathroom which brought her back to reality.

"Do you have an extra shower cap? I honestly don't have the energy to wash my hair right now," he asked, sipping from the refreshing glass as the water from the shower echoed in the bathroom.

"Hmm yeah I think so." Bending down to search under the bathroom sink she pulled out a cap with stretched-out elastic around the border and held it up in addition to the one she normally used.

"Duckies or polka dots?"

"As if that's even a question." He grabbed the one with yellow rubber duckies all over it. "Why would you toss something so awesome under the sink?" Pulling back the shower curtain he stepped into the water.

"I used it so much that the elastic got too lose so my hair would fall down. You might have a bigger head than I do, though." She stuck out her tongue as he made a sound of mock astonishment.

"I do not have a big head!"

"It just means you have a big brain." Setting a couple of clean towels aside she stepped in behind him, closing the shower curtain. "Fuck that's cold!"

"Ha! Sorry." He adjusted the temperature until it was just cool rather than freezing. It was refreshing, hitting their skin and washing off the now-dried sweat and old rain. His eyes wandered over her body, the fluorescent light of the bathroom highlighting every dip and curve the water and soapy bubbles created. Eyes darted away quickly until he felt a hand rubbing up and down his abs.

"That coffee shop outfit is a crime when it hides all of…this. Ei you're like a fifty out of ten. Would you ever, like…just wear the apron for me?" He blushed at the compliment.

"Are we revealing our kinks now? I'll honestly walk around in whatever you want me to," he said with a wink. Her hand pulled away quickly, a nervous laugh showing her own embarrassment.

"Ok…that's one to store away for later. Your turn. Tell me something that I could do for you."

"Uh literally anything?" She looked unconvinced. "Mm OK…I really…" He coughed, stalling in what he wanted to say. "I liked it when you were kind of…controlling? That's not the right word. In charge! Dominant. Do more of that because I was losing my mind. I like those hungry looks you give." His bottom lip sunk between his teeth suggestively as she struggled to swallow the remnants of water in her throat.

"Oh, uh hell yeah I can do more of that." She was honestly surprised that he enjoyed those times when she was more in control of the situation – most men wanted to be the ones calling the shots. But Kirishima wasn't most men.

There was more back and forth banter as they washed, skin occasionally grazing against skin, mouths still hungry but tired. Eventually they dried themselves, brushed their teeth, and made their way back to the bed, finally turning out all the lights in the apartment.

"I'm so tired…thank god tomorrow is Saturday," she said, sinking into the mattress.

"Sorry for wearing you out." Kirishima got a hand shoved in his face for that one.

"As if I mind, honestly."

Their legs tangled together, her head resting on his chest. The rain outside had finally stopped. Ghost had made his way onto the bed now that all the odd noises had calmed down and curled up at the foot of the mattress. Kirishima kissed her hair, a strong arm draped over her shoulders.

"I could get used to falling asleep like this."

"You better, I'm not going anywhere." He laughed against her hair as his eyes fluttered shut with a yawn, slowly succumbing to sleep. "I love you," she said against his lips in a goodnight kiss.

"Love you too." Every time the words left his mouth or danced in his ears his heart swelled. It didn't take long for them to finally drift off into sleep, feeling at ease in the embrace of each other.


	14. Chapter 14: Final Chapter

They slept deep and without interruption. Kirishima was the first to stir, the weight of something warm pushing against his chest. Eyes still closed, everything from the previous night came flooding back as he remembered where he was and everything that happened. His arms were draped around Ryuko protectively, her head underneath his chin, legs folded up into each other like a quilt pattern. Very slowly he untangled their limbs, gingerly easing up from the bed to avoiding waking up his girlfriend turned lover. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he looked down at her sleeping silhouette under the sheets, serenity etched in her features. He tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the living room, grabbing the phone he set aside the previous night and walked into the bathroom.

Scrolling through his phone to check for any missed calls or messages something caught his eye. It took him a minute to read through the e-mail and register what all it said before running out of the bathroom - nearly tripping over Ghost in the process - and shaking Ryuko awake.

"Hey, hey wake up!" She jumped as his hands shook her shoulders a little too enthusiastically, eyes bleary from being awoken so suddenly.

"Wh-what?! What's wrong?" But the beaming smile on his face left her confused.

"I got it! I got the job!" he screetched. She was still confused.

She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and squinting at the bright sunlight coming in through the window. "What job?" His eyebrows knit together until he nearly slapped himself in the face.

"Oh shit, I never told you! OK so you know I've been applying to a bunch of places for a long time right?" he asked as she sleepily nodded in acknowledgment. "I sent one out a while back but then totally forgot about it and I got an e-mail this morning saying they'd like me to start training soon!" She was mostly awake now - even if it was by force - but his excitement transferred over as her hands came up to cup his cheeks.

"Eijiro that's great! But you still haven't said what the job is."

He groaned, too excited to realize he'd literally told her _nothing_. "Shit, sorry. I applied to the fire department. I want to help people if I can." The sleepy smile on her face fell a fraction, and it didn't go unnoticed. "What's wrong…? Do you not want me to take the job?" he asked, brows furrowed.

Ryuko shook her head, hair falling messily into her tired face. "No, no that's not it. I know you've been trying for a long time to move up, and I'm glad they're giving you a proper chance. It's just…it's dangerous, right? I don't want you to get hurt." She was concerned about his safety. Being a fire fighter could indeed be a dangerous job with very real health risks. Now the protection roles were reversed once, again. "If this is really what you wanna do I'm going to support you in whatever way I can…but you better come back everyday in one piece, I mean it." Her forehead rested against his, fingers tangling in his intense bedhead that - still - looked pretty good. "You'd be so good at helping people, you'll do great." A sigh of relief spread over him when he realized she was just nervous for his safety, but wasn't going to hold him back from this. It was a positive step forward, something that he was excited about. Things were finally starting to go his way.

"Thank you. I promise I'll be safe." He kissed her. "Thank you." He kissed her again, happiness spreading over him. "I love you." He pulled her back down into the bed and enveloped her in his arms. They made love once more, quicker but no less passionate and full of affection than the night before.

"We need to go…and get more condoms at this rate," she laughed, out of breath as she came down from the high of morning sex. His hands ghosted over her body, reveling in how soft her skin felt against his fingers.

"Can we get lunch first? My treat. Making you scream my name works up an appetite," he laughed out. Her hand snaked down to the dip in his pelvis where she'd found one of his ticklish spots. It wasn't a mistake that she brushed against his sensitive cock as he jerked away biting his lip. "No you don't!" He grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up onto his shoulder as he stood up off the bed, her legs dangling in front as he walked to the bathroom, a hand firmly gripped on her ass to keep her from falling as she gasped. "An extra cold shower for you!"

"YOU BETTER NOT YOU SHIT!" He just laughed as he shut the bathroom door behind them and started up another shower.

They decided to continue the trend of comfortable laziness and had some lunch delivered.

"You should just bring a change of clothes to keep here at this point and some overnight stuff," she said, taking a sip of water. "Not that I mind you laying around in your underwear or anything…" Indeed, he sat there eating lunch in his boxers considering the rest of his clothes were still hanging up and needed to be properly washed and pressed after being rained on. She wore a baggy band t-shirt and clean underwear.

"Mm, yeah you're right. I'll pack an overnight bag for next time." His phone buzzed, Kirishima reading the text preview on the screen before swallowing. His eyebrows shot up.

B: "so? did you tell her finally or chicken out?"

K: "i'm no chicken! And it went great, she feels the same :)"

B: "about damn time. And if she does anything stupid i'll kick her ass"

K: "lol yes I know you will but she'll kick yours right back"

B: "she can fuckin' try"

B: "also"

B: "invite her to dinner tonight. To MAKE PEACE or whatever the fuck" Kirishima's eyebrows shot up at that.

"Ooh…hm. Interesting," he said, swallowing another bite of food.

"What's interesting?"

"Bakugou texted me. He's inviting you over for dinner tonight if you want." This made her stop chewing and look at Kirishima with a skeptical expression. "I think this is his attempt at an apology."

"An apology, huh?" The idea rolled around in her mind as she continued to eat lunch. He'd been a total asshole to her and honestly she _did_ deserve one at this point. If he was offering, she might as well indulge him; if he decided to show his ass or do something reckless she'd be there to back up Kirishima if need be. "Yeah, OK. I'll see if he's as good a cook as you claim he is."

"I'll let him know. And I promise I didn't put him up to this, it's totally him making the initiative." She squinted at that comment.

"Hmm…I hadn't considered that until you said it just now." A shiver ran down his spine at the look she gave him. She could appear very intimidating with little effort.

He held up his hands defensively. "I mean! I just told him to apologize to you, and he said he was working on it, so it's still his idea."

"So he wouldn't have done it on his own then is what you're saying."

"I think he would have, but he'd take his sweet time with it. He's the most stubborn person I know and hates admitting he's wrong about anything. I'm just giving him a push because you deserve an apology sooner rather than later." She nodded, appeased by his explanation.

"You're right, I do. He apologized to you at least, and from what you've told me he's trying to move forward. So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt." A lazy finger poked the nose of the red dragon gift now sitting on the kitchen table. "I just want to put this behind us and move forward, too." Kirishima put down his phone to look at his girlfriend across the table.

"I know. It'll be fine, I promise." Somehow she couldn't come to doubt his optimism. If anything else attempted to cause trouble, they could deal with it together.

They walked from the train station towards Kirishima's apartment, the evening sun starting to set casting an orange haze over the city.

"Did he say what he's making? I'm not really picky but I'm curious."

"Mmm no, he didn't say. I'll just caution he sometimes makes stuff too spicy because he's somehow unfazed by toxic levels of hot food. Oh, one thing though. I think we should…keep any PDA to a minimum, since he's still figuring things out."

"Ok I'll refrain from sitting in your lap and grabbing your butt. Deal?"

"Just hold onto those ideas for another day and we have a deal." Kirishima was honestly glad they could make jokes like this considering the intimacy of the previous night. Being physically close with his partner was important to him; sure, there would always be serious and cherished moments, but poking fun at each other was nice, too. "Oh! One more. Don't mention to the job offer yet. I want to get some more information and figure things out before letting him know."

"Yeah that's fair. Anything else?" They were holding hands as Kirishima walked up to the apartment door.

"Hmm…I dunno how exactly he plans on apologizing, I don't think spelling out 'I'm Sorry' in food is really his style so just expect…uh well expect anything I guess!" With that Kirishima unlocked the door.

"Bakugou I'm back! And Ryuko's with me!" They toed off their shoes at the door, the smell of something delicious wafting in from the kitchen.

"DON'T fuckin' come in here yet I'm not done and you'll make a damn mess." Ryuko rolled her eyes; he sounded just like she figured he would, unrestricted by being around customers. Kirishima leaned down close to her ear.

"Don't mind him, he honestly loves cooking and thinks anyone that attempts to help will mess up his food rhythm."

"Well you said you can't really cook and I can't improvise recipes worth a shit so it may be the wisest choice." He led her down the hall just past the doorway to the kitchen.

"OK we'll just hang out in my room until dinner's ready- is that a new apron?" At this Ryuko popped her head around the corner to see what Kirishima was talking about. Sure enough a bright orange bow accompanied what looked like a cooking apron as Bakugou stood at the stove stirring a pot.

"You got a fucking problem with me keeping my clothes clean when I cook?!" He didn't take his eyes off the pot.

"No, I just didn't think you'd need more than ONE apron." Kirishima stifled a laugh as he led his girlfriend down to his room, ignoring the string of curses following behind them.

He closed to the door behind them and started tossing off his wrinkled clothes from the previous day while looking for something clean to wear. "I did not picture Bakugou would own a cooking apron with a giant bow on it…you got rid of the flowers?" Ryuko asked. He turned around, a clean shirt halfway over his head to see Ryuko look at the now empty spot on his bedside table, her expression a bit sad.

"I tried my best to keep 'em alive but I have the opposite of a green thumb." He tried not to sound guilty. Throwing the dead flowers out was hard, though he thought of a solution. "But I saved a few, though." Kirishima took out a heavy book from the bottom of a small shelf filled with video games, action figures, movies, and some comic books. Walking over to his girlfriend he opened up the book to reveal a handful of dried flowers, pressed and preserved. There was a note too that had the date she'd given them to him. The gesture made her smile.

"Somehow I knew you'd find a way to keep them. Also, put on a shirt before I break the deal we made earlier." Leaning up to kiss his cheek she sat down on his bed while he put away the book in it's proper place.

"Aww I thought you wanted me naked all the time." He wiggled out of his dress pants, a playful wink on his face.

"I WILL make you walk into the kitchen with a boner if you don't quit. You're the one who said to keep it tame tonight - don't break your own rules you horndog." Problem was, he knew she would follow through with that threat with how easily she could rile him up.

"Heh…sorry." Before he could pull on some jeans, though, she reached across the bed and gave on of his buttcheeks a quick spank making him spin around in shock. "Now who's breaking the rules?!"

"Sorry couldn't resist. Now get dressed-" But his lips were on hers before she could retreat back to her spot on his bed. His mouth moved hungrily before pulling away just as quickly, acting like nothing happened.

"Love you dear!" His voice and expression was completely innocent, enjoying the game of back-and-forth.

"Goddammit…you're basically impossible to be mad at. But I'll have my revenge later, lover boy"

After a while Bakugou basically screamed from the kitchen that dinner was ready. Kirishima and Ryuko walked down the hall and into the dining area, the smell of something delicious leading the way.

"Ooh Bakugou it smells good, you went all out." Kirishima sat down at the table, silently hoping that dinner would go without a hitch.

"Um, yeah it does smell really good. Thank for inviting me to dinner." Kirishima gave her a soft and approving look with those ruby eyes of his. It was the first time she'd directly spoken to the blonde since he confronted her in front of the coffee shop. Bakugou stopped what he was doing for a split second before finishing plating the food.

"Of course it smells good, I made it." Still wearing the apron – which they could now see said 'Shut Up and Eat' – he set the food down at the table and tossed the apron across the back of his chair.

A roar of "Let's eat!" sounded at the table, everyone digging in.

Ryuko was the first to speak after a couple bites of food. "OK fine. I'll openly admit that Kirishima wasn't wrong about your cooking. It's fucking delicious." It was a bit spicier than she was used to but nothing inedible – if anything the spice added to and complemented the other flavors. Bakugou's face lit up in a smug smirk knowing that he was still the best at something.

"Told you! I mean that steak last night was still better but-"

"What steak? Wait did you go to that fancy place with the fountain downtown?" He could make good steak, too– he could make great steak!

"Mm yeah that's the one! I'm telling you man it was really good." Ryuko was eating silently, looking back and forth between Kirishima and Bakugou arguing about steak. She was starting to see now how they got along despite having different personalities.

"Of course it was good, they use expensive meat and know what they're doing! Remember the last time you tried to make steak?"

"Oh I want to hear this story." She piped up at the possible mention of an embarrassing memory.

Bakugou rounded on Ryuko, eyes darting towards Kirishima who honestly looked nervous. "Don't fucking ask me how but one ended up on the ceiling and the other disappeared never to be seen again." Kirishima groaned as Bakugou recalled with perfect memory one of his many cooking attempts. His girlfriend attempted to stifle a laugh but failed.

"OK I'm not great at cooking but I don't think I've ever lost half a meal before." She gently kicked his foot with hers to make him look at her, eyes holding amusement but also adoration. "But that's alright, you're good at a lot of other things. Maybe we could try some recipes, working from the bottom up with something simple and figure it out." That was one of the many reasons he loved her – she could always bring him back when his self worth started to fall, even when it came to something as mundane as cooking.

"Ah yeah, we could try learning something together." That blinding grin of his lit up his face before he shoved chopsticks full of food into his mouth. He glanced at Bakugou to gauge his reaction to the current turn of conversation.

He was eating casually. If it bothered him at all or made him uncomfortable, he didn't let on.

When they finished Kirishima sighed in satisfaction. "That was good. I'll help you clean up-"

"That's OK, I can help." Ryuko spoke up, standing from her seat and grabbing up the plates before Kirishima could stop her. As she stood at the sink, he looked at Bakugou as if to silently as 'I thinks she wants to talk'. The blonde nodded in understanding, expression hard to read below his knit brows.

"Um, alright if you're sure. I'll be in my room when you're done." Kirishima stood up, eyes lingering around the room before leaving Bakugou and Ryuko alone to – hopefully – make amends. He left his bedroom door open.

Bakugou stood up from his chair to stand beside her, grabbing the dishes as they were cleaned and dried them off before putting them up. This continued for a minute without words before Bakugou cut his eyes to the side, watching her hands work the dishes like a distraction. He stopped drying.

"Sorry." It was barely above a whisper, inaudible against the splatter of water against dried food.

"Did you say something?" She turned to him slightly, hands not pausing. He hated having to repeat himself.

"I said…sorry," he grit out with an exasperated sigh. "For…being a shithead. To you." She finally stopped, shutting off the faucet. It suddenly became very quiet, the only echo in the room the faint dripping noise of water splashing in the sink.

"Thanks." She finally turned fully to him and looked him in the eyes. His were more similar to Kirishima's now than she'd ever seen them. "I mean it."

"He deserves someone who treats him right, so just…don't fuck it up."

"I don't have any intention of it. And like I said before, if I do something dumb then you can yell at me then." There was a look of unspoken understanding between them. Bakugou could see that she really did care a lot – the looks Kirishima gave her made that obvious. But she leaned in close, closer than he was comfortable with and the look on her face was just shy of terrifying. "Let me say this though: you break his nose or any part of him again and I'll rip your balls off and toss them in a blender. Understand?" He nearly swallowed his own tongue at the threat.

"Now who's throwing around threats? Don't fuckin' worry I won't touch him, the nose thing was an accident anyway I didn't even realize I'd busted it until the next day." She smiled knowing that he was at least somewhat intimidated by her words.

"Good, glad we come to an agreement." She washed up the last dish and handed it over for him to dry. "Tell me some more embarrassing Kirishima stories." Now that was something Bakugou could get behind.

Conversation was awkward at first but eventually they settled into a rhythm, finding out they had a few things in common besides music tastes. Kirishima heard laughing from the kitchen and stepped out of his bedroom to see how things were going. Peeking his head around the corner Bakugou and his girlfriend were sitting at the kitchen table having…fun? It was almost shocking, but it honestly put a heartfelt smile on his face to know that his best friend and lover might now actually get along. He stepped out from the hallway, Bakugou noticing him first.

"Sorry for interrupting! Do you wanna watch a movie before heading home?" Ryuko turned, chin resting in her hand and eyes lighting up as she smiled at Kirishima.

"A movie? I mean I don't have to work tomorrow so yeah that's fine if-"

"I don't care as long as it's not some sappy romance shit," Bakugou grunted out. Kirishima put a finger to his chin.

"Hmm…oh I know!" He ran back to his room and looked through his collection of movies to pull out a very specific title. "This one!" Waving it in the doorway to the kitchen Bakugou scoffed.

"We've watched that too many times, choose something else."

"But she's never seen it!" Bakugou looked at Ryuko as if she was a flying pig.

"Wh- what do you mean you've never seen it?! It's a fucking good movie!" She squinted up at the title in Kirishima's hand. It sounded familiar but it was indeed something she'd never watched.

"I don't watch every single movie that comes out so don't get pissed!"

"It's decided then." Kirishima walked over and grabbed her hand basically yanking her out of the kitchen chair and dragging her into the living room to put in the movie. "I promise it's great, I think you'll like it." He sat back down on the couch, himself in the middle and Ryuko on one side, his arm slung around her shoulders like a movie theater cliché. Bakugou made his way into the living room, sitting down on the other side of Kirishima. The couch wasn't the biggest but they made it work.

Throughout the movie there was the occasional quip from Bakugou or Kirishima commenting on something they already knew was going to happen, while Ryuko gestured wildly at the screen due to the ridiculous plot. She'd become more open and energetic since their first date at the movies – the tension of knowing she wasn't trying to impress anyone, that Kirishima was in it for long haul – no longer a burden. She could be herself, totally and completely, and Kirishima loved her for it.

"How have I never seen this before?" She looked at the screen dumbstruck as Kirishima patted her on the head affectionately, the credits rolling to black on the TV.

"I know! It was pretty great right?"

"I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not bad at all." She reached down around the couch to pull her phone from her purse to check the time. "Mm I should get back home before it's super late." Bakugou stood up to stretch before taking the movie out and putting it back in the case. While his back was turned Kirishima planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

"OK, want me to walk you to the train station?"

"Sure, let me use the restroom real quick." As she walked down the hall Kirishima stood up and looked at his roommate, an expression of appreciation lining his features.

"Thanks for doing all this, Bakugou." He avoided eye contact but didn't look uncomfortable.

"Tch, yeah whatever. She's not so bad I guess…" Kirishima smiled before hitting himself on the forehead, before walking briskly back towards his room. The bathroom door opened, the silence of the apartment making their conversation just barely audible.

"OK I'm…what's in your hand? Seriously? You know I can buy condoms right?"

"These are just gonna sit here as long as Bakugou's here so just…uh stuff em in your purse?"

"Fine, keep a couple here just in case you perv."

"You're the one who spanked me earlier-"

"I CAN FUCKING HEAR THAT NASTY SHIT YOU KNOW!" Bakugou yelled from the living room, ears pink from overhearing something he honestly wish he hadn't. Everything fell very quiet before Kirishima walked stiffly from the hallway to the front door while avoiding eye contact with the fuming blonde. Ryuko wasn't far behind looking equally as embarrassed. She coughed awkwardly before talking.

"Thank you for dinner, Bakugou it was lovely we'll have to do this again have a good night!" She threw open the door and made her way outside as quickly as possible. Kirishima struggled to put on his shoes before waving goodbye and shutting the door a little too hard.

"And you told ME to tone it down, jeez…at least I don't have to walk back to that awkwardness. Ghost doesn't judge me." Kirishima stuffed a handful of condoms in her purse as he laughed nervously. His hand slid into hers as they walked back to the train station.

"Yeah I know, my fault, I'll deal with it. Any plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm hanging out with Tsu and Ochako, some girls day thing I don't know. Day drinking and good-bad movies in our pajamas probably. We haven't really hung out since we started dating. Oh did I tell you they're together now?"

"Aw no way! I thought I felt some romantic tension between them during the office party. Oh we should do a double date! Wait, shit we have to do a double date with Midoriya and Todoroki too so you can meet them…we have some future dates to plan I guess."

"There's plenty of time for dates," she laughed into the night air. "Oh I wanna ask. Would you…mind helping me out in a few weeks with my hair? I can do it myself but it's a huge pain an-"

"Yes!" He pulled her into a tight hug pretending to cry. "We can do each other's hair! That's so manly and romantic!" The reverberations of her laugh echoed in his chest before she pulled away. "Roots are such a pain."

"Well I guess that's one date down then!"

Once they reached the train station one last hug was shared between them.

"I love you," he said kissing the palm of her hand but not taking his eyes away from hers sparkling under the fluorescent lights of the station. "Be safe, call me when you get off the train so I'll know you got in."

"Of course I will. Love you, too." They shared one last kiss before he watched her hop on the train, waving goodbye as it pulled away.

Everything was going to work out fine. And it did.

Kirishima started training for his new job after a few weeks and excelled, his ability to think quickly in stressful situations and his physical prowess – along with his strong desire to help people – put him as an excellent candidate which landed him the job.

Eventually he told Bakugou of his new job and his plans to quit the coffee shop. His first reaction was agitation that Kirishima was moving forward with his life instead of himself, but he realized that was petty after all they'd been through – he deserved any good things that came his way. Over time Bakugou found a better job as well that didn't judge his current performance based on past events.

The police did not visit them again, and Ryuko's ex never found out where she was – he was forgotten, as he should be.

Ochako and Tsu stayed together, enjoying time both at work and at home. Sometimes spending almost no time apart could be bad for couples needing time away, but they were good at communicating to each other if one of them needed a day to themselves. They were also the first to volunteer to watch over Ghost whenever Ryuko was away for one reason or another and secretly attempted to dress him in kitty costumes.

When the lease to the apartment was up, Kirishima moved out and left it to Bakugou so that he could move in with Ryuko. Their relationship blossomed, every touch and word shared together a cherished gift that Kirishima locked away in an old book right next to a handful of dried red flowers.

* * *

 **THE**

 **END**

 **3**

 **thank you so much to everyone who kept up with the story and read it from beginning to end.**


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